Not a dream sound, but a sound which sleeping we had really heard
for strings, keyboards, and antiphonal percussion
LA Phil Commission
2024
The title of this piece is adapted from The Bell by Iris Murdoch. In the novel, Murdoch features a legend of an abbey bell submerged for centuries in a lake and an ominous recurring dream from which the dreamer awakens feeling uncertain whether they have heard a sound or dreamt it. The plot also highlights a number of pairings: an ancient bell and a new one, a sacred community and a secular one, dual leaders, twins, and lovers.
Antiphonal percussion setups mirror each other. Strings are arranged in matching pairs or trios. Celesta doubles on Rhodes electric piano. As the music retraces subtly diverging paths through a recurring harmonic cycle, the strings players are variably asked to play with no vibrato in order to emphasize the tuning of different pitches against each other or to play with a slow, measured vibrato, manipulating their pitches in sync with one other in parallel waves.
Sound shimmering above the surface of the water. Water shimmering beneath the surface of the sound. A memory of a mirage played back from old tape. Slow, lyrical strains wafting over a landscape. Deceleration and acceleration. Tuning and attunement.
Score available upon request.
World Premiere:
January 28, 2025
LA Phil New Music Group conducted by John Adams
Walt Disney Concert Hall,
Los Angeles, CA
for strings, keyboards, and antiphonal percussion
LA Phil Commission
2024
The title of this piece is adapted from The Bell by Iris Murdoch. In the novel, Murdoch features a legend of an abbey bell submerged for centuries in a lake and an ominous recurring dream from which the dreamer awakens feeling uncertain whether they have heard a sound or dreamt it. The plot also highlights a number of pairings: an ancient bell and a new one, a sacred community and a secular one, dual leaders, twins, and lovers.
Antiphonal percussion setups mirror each other. Strings are arranged in matching pairs or trios. Celesta doubles on Rhodes electric piano. As the music retraces subtly diverging paths through a recurring harmonic cycle, the strings players are variably asked to play with no vibrato in order to emphasize the tuning of different pitches against each other or to play with a slow, measured vibrato, manipulating their pitches in sync with one other in parallel waves.
Sound shimmering above the surface of the water. Water shimmering beneath the surface of the sound. A memory of a mirage played back from old tape. Slow, lyrical strains wafting over a landscape. Deceleration and acceleration. Tuning and attunement.
Score available upon request.
World Premiere:
January 28, 2025
LA Phil New Music Group conducted by John Adams
Walt Disney Concert Hall,
Los Angeles, CA