Foot Notes, for Viola and Piano

Foot Notes was composed for ViolaViva in 2026 as a collection of pieces to challenge viola students preparing to move up to ViolaViva's Mastery Series. Having decided that the first piece would be a sort of jig, it quickly followed that the other pieces should have some connection with dance and physical movement without being dances in the strict sense. Double meanings occur throughout, from the very title of the work to Stomping Ground, itself playing on the word 'ground' as a musical structure. In Cheek by Jowl the performers are very close indeed, while Soft Shuffle refers more to the sound of the repeating semiquaver patterns in the viola, but it might also suggest the agility of shuffle dancing. Evening Steps attempts to evoke the atmosphere of dancing quietly, very late at night. John Casken
Foot Notes is part of ViolaViva's growing educational catalogue, organised into three series of new repertoire, the First Steps Series, the Moving Up Series and the Mastery Series, plus a fourth series, the Educational Series, consisting of new studies and exercises.

Duet

• ViolaViva, 2026

Foot Notes
for Viola and Piano
Score and part‍‍‍‍