University of York Music Press

According to the composer, "the idea for this work sprang from an ancient Albanian proverb: 'The Eagle flies in the Sky, but makes its nest on Earth'".

Albanian-born Simaku recently received an Honorary Award from Academia Costantiniana di Lettere, Arti e Scienze in Rome for his Radius for String Quartet. Last year his work was widely performed across the world and includes: Due Sotto-Voci per Violino Solo (25/02/03 New York, world premiere), Radius for String Quartet (17/05/03 Germany, world premiere), Radius for Two Violins (09/09/03 St Ives, world premiere) and Soliloquy III (ISCM 2003).

In Innsbruck, a Concert-Portrait devoted to celebrating Simaku's work (30/11/03) included his pieces Refléxions de la Croix II and Soliloquy Cycle (I, II and III). Soliloquy III for solo viola has been described as an exploration of "a wide range of high harmonics and microtonal effects, rapidly switching from violent chordal attacks to spare bowed fragments, reminiscent of Kurtag in its spare atomistic compression" (Sun-Sentinel, Florida).