Night Music was written in December of 1998 for violist Keith Conant. In 2001 the work was transcribed for Cello at the request of cellist Katinka Kleijn.

The work consists of three movements. Inspired by a poem by Frank Marshall Davis, each movement reflects on a different aspect of experiencing that time of the day which most people do not consciously experience. The music reflects upon both the impressions left by night and the emotions evoked by night, either asleep or awake. Thus the music balances between ominous, dark sounding sonorities, lighter textures, and almost surreal sounding passages: A good example of such a passage can be found in the second movement. Here the viola/cello and the piano perform a dialogue in which both instruments play harmonics and pizzicati. For the viola or cello these playing techniques are standard. For the piano these techniques are still less common (and often less practical), but they do add a beautiful tone quality to the music. Sometimes the music clearly evolves toward climactic moments, other times it remains purely static, evoking the feeling one experiences when, during bouts of insomnia, the clock ticks away yet time does not seem to progress.

Night Music — Cello and Piano version