Duet in D-Flat Major was written in what could perhaps be best described as a burst of inspiration. After a couple of days of casually juggling some motifs around in my mind, something clicked and I woke up with a musical idea that I scrambled to write down as quickly as possible. I spent the majority of that day developing these ideas, and this became what is now the third movement. Some of the ‘leftover ideas’ that didn’t make it into the finale were used as seeds for the second movement - in particular, the motifs at measure 9 and from 70-80. The opening movement ended up being the last one written and begins with a noble and/or heroic fanfare in 6/16. The second movement cautiously meanders through unexpected harmonies, much like someone nervously exploring unfamiliar places. The finale is another fanfare, but has some mischievous fun after turning a few harmonic corners in minor. My goal with this duet was to create a musical universe that has the grandeur of an orchestra with just two voices.
