Knotwork was inspired by, and composed as a companion piece to, Varese?s Octandre and Alexander Goehr?s Lyric Pieces, op. 35, and works very well programmed with one or both. It?s chaconne style repeating harmonic pattern is based on a 12-tone theme that appears in different parts of the texture as the piece progresses though several variations. Each individual variation has an intricate interlaced structure of varying complexity, akin to creating different kinds of ornamental ?knots? from one ?string,? as in the wide variety of such knots in Celtic and other world cultures.