Mindscape Four Poetic Images (2001-02) 14'
Sextet for 2 Guitars, Flute, Oboe, Violin and Cello
Commissioned by Chamber Music America
Premiere: April 29, 2002, New York Society for Ethical Culture
CYGNUS Ensemble; Gen Shinkai, guest flutist; Jacqueline Leclair, oboe; Jacqui Carrasco, violin; Susannah Chapman, cello; William Anderson, guitar; Oren Fader, guitar
Mindscape - Four Poetic Images
- Pilgrimage
- Wind of Ruin
- A Starlight Night
- Perception
Mindscape was composed for Cygnus Ensemble, and scored for two guitars, flute, oboe, violin and cello. I begun work on the first movement, "Pilgrimage", at the MacDowell Colony during a residency in May 2001. I was thinking about "time", and became captivated by the image of Ruin as a symbolic message from a distant past. This image became an idea for this composition. I followed an imaginary journey to my inner landscape. The second movement, "Wind of Ruin", was composed at the Millay Colony that summer. While at Millay, I saw a magnificent shooting star in the midnight sky. The experience is reflected in the third movement, "A Starlight Night". The image and soul I received from the sky is heard in the oboe's beautiful quiet high tone. The piece concludes with the fourth movement, "Perception", where the metallic effect of multiphonics and the striking effect of strings are utilized to create non-musical sound. The piece dies away to a static landscape, as if make a circulation.
The work was commissioned for Cygnus by Chamber Music America. Funds for this commission have been provided by Chamber Music America’s Commissioning Program, supported by The National Endowment for the Arts, The Helen F. Whitaker Fund and The Chamber Music America. |
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