Aaron Jay Kernis composed Air in response to a commission from Joshua Bell and the Houston Society for the Performing Arts, and dedicated it to his wife Evelyne Luest. Unlike many of his other compositions, it makes no explicit references to other styles of music; this is completely Kernis' sound world. The work is in one movement, in ABCBA form, with a brief coda; the repeats of the B and A sections are melodically elaborated, like Baroque da capo arias, and in some places the piano harmony shifts or disappears. The work is essentially sweetly lyrical and tonal, with two soaring, passionate melodies on the violin which are developed throughout the piece. The intimate mood is interrupted only by the stormy C section, which features pounding chords on the piano and frenzied ascending scales in the violin. After the repeated B and A sections, the coda gently closes the piece. While this is a simple piece, its openness and guileless lyricism are both disarming and compelling.



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