Nico
Muhly,

Moving Parts is the music for Benjamin Millepied’s ballet of the same name. Scored for violin, clarinet, and pipe organ, the piece is a series of rhythmic etudes. The slow movement is a very slow passacaglia, with, I hope, unexpectedly lyrical melodies in the violin. After an extended organ toccata built over a drone, a brief slow movement creates a natural midpoint. The violin, aggressively plucking, builds up to form a canon with the clarinet, and after a loud outburst from the organ, the piece ends quietly.