Voices of the Nebulae
Clarinet, viola, double bass, piano, percussion | 2015 | 5'
Commissioned by Indiana University Composition and Dance Departments
Past performances:
Wai Ki Wun, clarinet; Yoni Gertner, viola; Robert Windlowski, bass; Alice Baldwin, piano; Kathryn Yuill, percussion; cond. Nicolas Chuaqui. Midwest Composers Symposium. Auer Hall, Indiana University, Nov. 7, 2015. Premiered by Nick Morandi, clarinet; Yoni Gertner, viola; Brian MacAnally, bass;
Yuhao Chen, piano; Keegan Sheehy, percussion; cond. Nicolas Chuaqui. “Hammer and Nail.” Buskirk-Chumley Theater, Bloomington, Indiana, April 14, 2015; April 15, 2015.
Voices of the Nebulae, originally titled Trust Me, was premiered at IU's Hammer and Nail dance collaboration in April 2015. The piece is inspired by dance, and thus features many contrasting gestures, including long phrases, short rhythms, and repeating cells. On a deeper level, Voices of the Nebulae draws its inspiration from the concept of parallax, in which objects seen at a distance appear to be much closer than they really are; although the instruments share ideas and act in unison, there remains among them a sense of separation, as members of a constellation that only appear to fit together from a certain angle and distance. The clarinet acts as a protagonist against this, trying to connect the other objects to a unity greater than themselves.
