for pre-recorded actor’s voice, two sopranos, mezzo-soprano, masked alto flute, cello, percussion
SYNOPSIS: Joan of Arc is on the stake. In the breath before death, there is a flash of omniscience – a barrage of time, sound, and memory. As she comes in and out of consciousness, Time scans itself and replays events surrounding her life and death. The music of her divine visions envelops her. She hears the voice of an enemy, as chronicled in his war diary; she then remembers a song from her childhood. The divine visitor brings a message. The Chronicler yearns for Joan’s death. Suddenly, she is on trial, and condemned. The Chronicler recalls a humiliating defeat at the hands of “the Devil’s maid.” Joan recalls her capture. Now, the fire...she calls out for her Savior: Jésu won’t You come? There is only silence. She waits. In the haze, an answer, and a final breath.
ABOUT THIS CLIP: Certain her Savior will come, Joan faces the fire.
ABOUT THIS CLIP: God’s messenger, The Stag, interrupts with a missive from Heaven.
THIS IS THE FULL VIDEO (65 minutes)
for vocalizing percussion quartet, actor, soprano, mezzo-soprano, contralto
SYNOPSIS: Part One: In which the ingenious gentleman Alonso Quixano, on his deathbed, is haunted by the following memories: being infected with books and becoming the gallant knight Don Quixote, constructing his ladylove, saving a young shepherd boy, and being accosted by villagers. Part Two: Which relates memories of a medical exam, a narrow escape upon his trusty steed, his good friend Sancho, and a battle with a heartless giant. Part Three: Regarding a notable head wound hallucination, the unfortunate return of the young shepherd boy, and of the villagers who put this most noble Don Quixote in a cage. Part Four: In which the valiant Knight of La Mancha is visited by Death, is danced into humiliation, and battles for his life.
ABOUT THIS CLIP: The crowd examines Quixote to determine the cause of his madness.
ABOUT THIS CLIP: After receiving a head wound from a battle with a "giant", Quixote hallucinates that Dulcinea is an enormous onion flower that is fiercely averse to the conventions of courtly love. She rejects him while singing of her independence.
ABOUT THIS CLIP: Quixote comes upon Andrés, a young shepherd boy who is being abused and beaten by his boss. The brave and noble knight steps in to save him. The accompaniment for this scene is vibrating tuning forks on suspended paper. The result is a tiny pitched buzzing that I used as a drone throughout.
ABOUT THIS CLIP: Impatient with Quixote’s dangerous adventures, the crowd brings him back home.
ABOUT THIS CLIP: The crowd considers all they have lost after Quixote’s death.
This is the full video (80 minutes)
for five bassoons
for chamber orchestra
for clarinet