Of Fragments and Dreams (2015)
Commissioned by the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra with funding provided by the Canada Council for the Arts
Of Fragments and Dreams is a set of five brief movements that reflect on the idea of memory. It is a gentle and nostalgic work for the most part, with each movement a musical snapshot capturing a fragment of time, a distant memory of place, a state of mind or emotion. In the opening movement, “breath”, layers of light, rapid tremolos that move in and out of sul ponticello are meant to create a shimmering texture and an unfocused quality, as if grasping at a faded memory that can be recalled only in small, hazy glimpses. In the second movement, “melody”, a simple rising line evokes a language from a distant time, with the opening gesture echoed and overlapped throughout the ensemble. The following movement, “berceuse”, features a solo viola melody accompanied by a mosaic of pizzicato, col legno and staccato notes that form a light, lilting and constantly shifting background. Erratic rhythms, aggressive gestures and the dark timbre of the low strings define the fourth movement, “regrets”, reflecting mounting anxiety generated by a fixation on bitter recollections and thoughts. The final movement, “farewell”, is a string of lyrical moments that flow one into the other. The material is tinged with nostalgia, with reference to sounds from childhood: the creaking of a child’s swing, the tinkling of wind chimes, small fragments of a lullaby.
