The Tapestry of Unknown Islands explores the contrast between variegated and plain musical material. The former is characterized by a wide chromatic pitch palette, complex rhythms, and, in the final section of the piece, a rapid hocketing between the viola and piano. The latter takes two distinct forms: both instruments focusing around a single pitch or a relatively simple melodic line in the viola against an alternation of two chords in the piano. The musical drama of the piece is created by how the music journeys between these two approaches, and how, even when stopping on a plain “island”, there is still forward momentum. Even in the final measures of the music, the unpredictable alternation of the last two-chord set suggests that there may be another island to explore, just beyond the final barline.