The original version for Violin & Percussion is below.
PROGRAM NOTES:
Tranquillamente is the an arrangement for violin & piano of the third movement of Gnizo, for violin & percussion. Pronounced Gh-nee-zo, it is a Syriac word that means ‘invisible’, but it is also a word that refers to a category of poetry that is sung in hymns during certain services of the Syrian Orthodox church. Such occasions might includem the eve of Palm Sunday, while the faithful are returning to the church at the end of a procession. There are no specific religious references in my work for violin and percussion. Rather, I hope to evoke the feeling of calm and grounded-ness that listening to recordings of these hymns, which come from the Syrian Antioch liturgy, have given me during this time of pandemic. The need for calm, and inner peace is even more needed now in this post-pandemic time, which is more unstable than before. May inner peace prevail so that the rest of the world knows peace.
Kareem Roustom (12/1/2021 – 9/20/2025)