By Melia Watras for The Strad
To gain our personal understanding of the world around us, we look for meaning and connection. Like images in a dream, inspiration comes from many places. My new album, The almond tree duos, owes much of its existence to its ties to literature, visual art and music.
Comprised of 18 pieces for violin and viola, the work’s title references the symbol of forgiveness, hope and new beginnings in Oscar Wilde’s The Canterville Ghost. Wilde’s almond tree blooms surprisingly (it has been barren for 300 years) when the ghost is finally able to reach eternal peace through the aid of a pure, young soul, helping to bring about a better future for all. I composed the duos largely during the pandemic and the desire and ever present search for these ideals was particularly resonant.