a still life in blue-green (2015)

Dedicated to the Society for New Music and American Composers Forum in celebration of their 43rd and 40th years.
Premiered on May 14, 2015 in Syracuse, NY by the Society for New Music All Stars
(piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, cello, and piano)
Duration: 2’30”

Program note:

    Written on January 13th, 2015 in Syracuse, NY, a still life in blue-green was conceived and completed on a day where the high temperature was in the single digits. At that temperature, the outside world, as viewed from my kitchen (kept toasty warm by my trusty space heater), has very little movement. It is as if the view from my window had become its own still life. This was a few weeks after reading Morton Feldman’s collected writings. Feldman frequently drew parallels between music and painting. While working on this piece, I took breaks to view images of Rothko’s works. Built from only five pitches, with the piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, and cello only playing a single pitch, a still life in blue-green is itself a monochromatic work, offering the listener a peaceful moment of serenity.