quartet for clarinet, trombone, piano, and cello
14 minutes
for gnarwhallaby
commissioned by carnegie hall
quasi concerto for piano
with clarinet in Bb/Bass, trombone (with wine glass, harmon w/stem, harmon w/o stem), cello (IV=Ab)
Program Note:
Lullaby 4 is about experiencing moments of personal significance amidst toxic surroundings. It is a fantasy set in a ruined landscape. Imagine having your first kiss in the middle of a landfill, or discovering a cherished childhood possession buried in a pile of trash. It is a situation that is simultaneously frustrated and euphoric.
In the last three years, I have found myself repeatedly attracted to composing Lullabies. Many classic lullabies are simultaneously soothing and disturbing, somehow instilling both a sense of fear and calm with simple text and a simple melody. Using this idea of Lullaby has been a new way for me to explore the tensions of transition, opposition, hindsight, and false perception in my music. These pieces have been uniquely personal; more so than other music I have composed. In addition to being somewhat therapeutic for me, they have also been collaborations with some of my closest musical friends. Brian Archinal (Lullaby), Brendan Nguyen (Lullaby 2), The Formalist Quartet (Lullaby 3), gnarwhallaby (Lullaby 4), LAPQ (Lullaby 5), and Ashley Walters (Lullaby 6) have all had a profound influence on the way that I think about music. These are the people with whom I try new sonic ideas, go to concerts, and drink whiskey (or tea).