»To my father Joe Staar on his 75th birthday«

For violin and piano
Premiere: 1984, »Musikalischer Sommer« Vienna, played by Harald Ossberger and René Staar
Duration: ca. 4 minutes

Published by Edition Contemp Art (Verlagsgruppe Hermann),
Obtainable via www.schott-music.com
Product number: VGH 164-70 (Set of parts)

Manuscript of Epilogue to »Just an Accident?« in original size

Audio sample:

René Staar, violin
Harald Ossberger, piano
(recorded January 12th, 1985 at the ORF-Funkhaus in Vienna)

René Staar: In very close context to »Just an Accident?« (Text by Alan Levy) I wrote 10 Studies to »Just an Accident?« for piano two hands, and the Epilogue to »Just an Accident?« for violin and piano.

But while the Studies contain the main first ideas to the whole complex, the Epilogue proceeds from the experience of the composition and the performances of the requiem.

The Studies are already deeply inspired from Alan Levy’s text, which puts the hurting loss of dying artists for humanity in its center. It is logical, that many of the elements of the Studies are taken directly into the requiem, even in the form and the structure of both rare completely different.

In contrary to this, the Epilogue represents the will and the power, that life has to go on, even in hectic and full of fights. Two main elements, a hectic Prestissimo and an artificial tense slower part interchanges abruptly in this piece.