1. Grave – Allegro – Grave – Allegro - ...
2. Adagio

Strata (Latin: stratum = layer, strata = layers) for two violins deals with two elements: two violins, two movements, two layers. In the first movement (Grave - Allegro) different layers are primitively placed next to each other, in the second one the layers sound on top of each other. Strata was written in a serial style, combined with modal harmonies. In the compositional process I used several mathematical series to form the rhythm: Fibonacci series, Chaos series, Lucas series and my own series. These mathematical series sound like isolated elements, yet they all have an abstract (inaudible) relation. These elements only serve as a means to the sounding result: acoustically perceptible layers.

To realize this in auditory way, I opted in the second movement (Adagio) for diversity in timbre: a baroque violin plays a chorale with a baroque bow (which suggests three part counterpoint), while a modern violin produces a completely different sound in a totally different, almost improvisatory layer. The baroque violin, equipped with gut strings and tuned traditionally (half a tone lower), is just like the modern violin prepared with a “hotel room sordino”. As a consequence, the music turns into a mysterious atmosphere because of the nasal sound of the baroque violin, sharply contrasting with the capriccioso-like, improvisational surrounding of the modern violin.
 

	Fragment from Strata – Allegro
	Fragment from Strata – Adagio
	Performers Bram Van Camp, violin Charlotte Vande Ginste, baroque violin (07/07/2005)
Duration	approx. 7 min
Publisher	CeBeDeM, Brussels: score www.cebedem.be
Instrumentation	violin I  (+ 'hotel room' sordino) violin II (+ baroque violin and baroque bow + 'hotel room' sordino)
Premiere	Bram Van Camp, violin Charlotte Vande Ginste, baroque violin (28/05/2004)
SABAM	000269450