Contemplation and Pursuit (2014)
Contemplation and Pursuit
string quartet // 8:45
Premiere: April 2014
Commisioned by Boston Composers Coalition in partnership with the Arneis String Quartet
Program Note:
Contemplation and Pursuit imagines the mindset of a small predator, such as a fox. Its complicated and serious nature exudes first a meditative state whereby the creature is alone in its own mental domain, uninterested in social interactions, absorbing the peace of its natural environment. The twists and turns of this slow section evoke both a freedom and a repetitiveness that can be discerned in nature. Suddenly the animal spots its prey, leading to a quicker, more upbeat section that conjures images of a chase. The pursuit is as exciting as the catch, as the creature delights in tracking its victim. The mouse escapes, and so the predator’s reclusive state commences once again, this time with the gravity of its unsatiated appetite. And so the cycle continues.
PURCHASE SCORE
