Instrumentation: Narrator, Violin, Saxophone, 2 Celli
Duration: 11 minutes
Year: 2024
Video
Program Notes
A setting of the poem of the same title by poet Ellen Bryant Voigt, Stone Pond is an introspective musical journey for narrator and chamber ensemble. Taking the title as a means of musical creation, I used a musical cryptogram generator which translated the letters in the title into pitches EGAGE BAGD. The pitches were then used as a starting point for harmony and melody within the work which meanders between stasis and frenetic activity. Musical references from Beethoven and others are introduced in response to Ellen’s evocative poetry.
My heartfelt gratitude goes to the members of the board of the Michael Steinberg and Jorja Fleezanis Fund – Mari, John, and Tony – for generously commissioning this work. The work is dedicated to the memory of Jorja and Michael whose legacies continues to inspire the next generation.
Score
Currently under exclusivity until May 2025.
Score Sample
Roydon Tse 