Strange Air (2008)
Commissioned by Russ Irwin through the Women's Philharmonic Commissioning Initiative of Meet the Composer, with additional support from the James Irvine Foundation.
Instrumentation: 2(picc)222(bass)/4231/timp/3 perc/harp/pno-celesta/strings
Duration: 14 min.
Having moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2003, I am especially taken with the beauty and intensity of its natural environment. Coming from the predictably relentless hot summers and snowy winters of the Midwest, I’m most fascinated by the precipitousness of change and the volatility of the west coast environment. From my window looking out at the horizon, the wide span of ocean and sky is in constant flux as coastal winds push the clouds and rain at sometimes astonishing speeds, revealing patches of serene blue sky in between surging systems. From day to day and even hour to hour, the panorama evolves and transforms in often spectacular and unexpected ways.
Strange Air is inspired by this phenomenon, reflecting at times the restlessness and turbulence, and other times the stillness and fragility of this environment. The piece is in one continuous movement with four sections presented in a series of tableaux, with contrast and change creating a shifting mosaic of colors and textures. The work opens with the introduction of two opposing fragments: three sustained notes embellished with small sparkling surges of activity, and a low, dark descending figure. These two ideas alternate, quickly building in intensity and complexity with each repetition. The introduction swells to a peak, only to subside unresolved. A quiet lyrical section follows, characterized by melodic woodwind solos, slowly shifting harmonies and sparse shimmering textures. This slow section gradually settles into complete stasis, from which rhythmic fragments emerge and evolve into a driving ostinato. As momentum builds, themes from the preceding sections return vibrantly transformed. The final section revisits the melody and transparent texture of the slow music with soft bells, distant chimes and string glissandi floating higher and higher, softly fading away into stillness.