When George Antheil and his future wife, Boski Markus, arrived in Paris in the summer of 1923 they moved into a small apartment on rue de l’Odéon above Sylvia Beach’s famous bookstore, Shakespeare and Company. The musicians, artists, and literary giants who comprised the shop’s clientele steered Antheil toward his calling as the 'Bad Boy of Music'.
For us, Odéon represents our artistic path together, beginning with Antheil’s wild early music and sustained through a mutual love for collaboration, experimentation, and discovery. We met during our first year as doctoral students at Arizona State University, developing a natural collaborative energy when Hannah began writing her dissertation on Antheil’s three Parisian violin sonatas.
Over the course of six months, we discovered the very limits of our technical and musical skill as we worked through each piece. We thrived on the raw energy and driving aggression of Antheil’s early sonatas, finding beauty in their vivacity and quirky athleticism'
With these three pieces, we have come to a deeper understanding of the collaboration and friendship between two incredible musicians. Our own friendship and musical partnership have flourished as a result. We hope you enjoy Specter as much as we loved creating it for you.
- Duo Odéon.