Could You Dream What I Dream
Garth Baxter, Composer
Listen on Apple Music / Soundcloud / Spotify / YouTube
Category: Chamber Music
Instrumentation: violin, piano
Duration: 6+ minutes
Could You Dream What I Dream is a romantic chamber work for violin and piano, written for violinist Nicholas Currie. Its opening melody is borrowed from an aria sung by the male lead in Act I, Scene II of Lily, the opera Baxter is writing with librettist Lisa VanAuken. In this instrumental setting, the aria’s vocal lyricism is transformed into a songful dialogue between violin and piano, reflecting Baxter’s expressive melodic style, tonal clarity, and contemporary harmonic language.
With its lyrical character and operatic source material, Could You Dream What I Dream is well suited for violin recital programs, contemporary chamber music concerts, and programs connecting instrumental music with vocal or theatrical works.
“The lyricism that is so clearly a strong feature in Mr. Baxter’s style is very evident here - melodic, and flexible in both the violin and piano parts (it’s nice that the piano gets some lovely passages, as well!). I would imagine that this piece would fit wonderfully in a recital program, as it could both complement and contrast other works, while still holding its own grown. There is depth and weight to it.”
“There are no words to describe the emotions I feel in this piece, which I feel is one of Garth’s best. No truer notes of love have ever been spoken and none have pierced my heart so. Don’t speak; only listen to notes so true as to never have known language at all, but have soared through the heart’s center. The heart’s desire. My heart’s desire”
“Baxter’s compositional vocabulary is modern in its harmonic movement and melodic/harmonic relationship, but it’s still very much romantic in its use of strong lyrical melodies. The middle section is especially romantic and builds to a wonderful call and response between the violin and piano. Baxter’s ability to keep the movement in the piano part while still creating interest and space for the melody is remarkable. With shifting harmonic progression and double stops the music takes us through another wonderful theme where the duet performs in a call and response pattern as they build the gorgeous melody. The capitulation has power, and it ties the composition together and again demonstrates Baxter’s authority with the tradition of the classical heritage and its ability to be expanded upon.”