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Transparence of the World (2004)
ensemble high soprano, violin, cello and piano
written for Charlotte Dobbs
premièred February 18, 2005, New Haven, CT
Looking back, Transparence of the World was a kind of watershed for me. It marked a strong shift away from my previous musical language (represented by big pieces like the Symphony and Piano Sonata). In this cycle, which consists of seven songs, I made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of thematic material (and the complexity thereof), putting greater focus on the melodic contours and “transparence of the orchestration” (rather aptly, I think). This transformation of style was borne of a desire to communicate with listeners more directly and with a minimum of pretense and self-consciousness. It was heavily influenced by my then-recent “discovery” of American minimalism— hearing pieces like Reich's Music for 18 Musicians and Adams's Harmonielehre for the first time, thanks in part to Lainie.
Listen
V. Signs for Travellers
Recorded 7/9/06 live at Ozawa Hall, Lenox, MA.
Emily Albrink, soprano; Yuki Numata, violin; Semiramis C. S. Costa, cello; David Kaplan, piano.