Composed for the violinist Rolf Schulte, Two Pieces is comprised of two dramatically contrasting, relatively brief movements. The work’s design is intended to focus on the integration of sonority between the two instruments (rather than present the soloist with accompaniment). This more transparent landscape, coupled with an almost simple brevity of design, was employed to make more resonant the striking and unusual tonal qualities of scordatura (the re-tuning of the violin). In this case the lowest string (G) is lowered to an F#. Although scordatura can prove quite problematic for the performer, its effect, if carefully employed, can produce beautiful consequences of sonority. In Two Pieces, the 1st movement’s intensely static and forceful qualities reveal this new resonance. In the 2nd movement, Song, the unusual resonance contributes to an internal, sad, and quasi-tuneful expression, the low F# slowly, and gently, becoming completely exposed by the work’s conclusion.