O homem das Três pernas

A cellist always needs a third leg, the spike, in order to achieve the balance required to play the instrument. This is perhaps the most straightforward explanation for the work’s title. However, the number 3 has always had connotations of unity, perfection, balance and even of the divine, according to the religious doctrine of Christianity. These concepts, when combined with the number 3, allow a broader interpretation of the work’s title.

The piece is divided into three sections/ /legs which, together, describe a narrative arch which reaches its climax during the second leg. The narrative course can be compared to that of an harmonic progression I-V-I. After the stability of I, tension builds through the second leg (V), which is then resolved in the third leg (I). Luís Soldado