in drops of dew will I sink down and mingle with the dust

for bass flute, bass clarinet, horn, percussion, harp, violin, cello, and electronics
Written for Ensemble Dal Niente
Premiere: Ensemble Dal Niente - Michael Lewanski, conductor
March 8, 2023 - Martinos Auditorium - Brown University - Providence, RI
Duration: 9'
in drops of dew will I sin down and mingle with the dust  is a line taken from the Hymns of the Night by the German Romantic poet, Novalis. In reading Novalis I was immediately struck by this line and wanted to translate this motion of the absorption between water and dust into the sonic medium. A harmonic texture is set up which becomes decentered in its own development, forcing it to journey through uncomfortable and odd territories before it reaches a level of satiation, signaling the arrival of a new space.
PERFORMANCE HISTORY
  • March 8, 2023 - Ensemble Dal Niente - Martinos Auditorium - Providence, RI