Precipice (2021)
Commissioned by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra
Duration: 9’30 min.
Instrumentation: 3(picc)222/4231/timp/3 perc/harp/pno/strings
Precipice is inspired by the idea of standing, seemingly perpetually, at the precipice of something immensely dark and overwhelming. Originally the piece was commissioned to be a reflection on the detrimental effects of climate change on our planet, but given the tumultuous events of 2020 and 2021, 'Precipice' came to also represent the threat of similarly dire situations around the world: the pandemic, societal turmoil, political upheaval. In this work I tried to capture the sense of unrelenting tension and apprehension, a reflection of a constant state of stress that ebbs and flows but never fully subsides. Seemingly familiar tropes appear, only to mutate into more ominous and threatening forms. The ending is left unresolved, with the future yet to unfold.
Precipice was commissioned and premiered by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.
