Lament is a part of my 54 minute piece, Lament Amid Silence, which consists of Lament for solo viola, Ghosts for six violas, Lament with Ghosts for solo viola with viola consort, and two meditations for piano solo. Each section of this piece may be programmed individually, or in combination with any of the others.
Lament for Solo Viola was written for Helen Callus, my colleague at UC Santa Barbara, immediately after I finished my opera Twelfth Night, which is joyous and almost entirely melodic and tonal. Afterwards, I wanted to express a very different world of write something very much from another world, expressed partly through the using such instrumental techniques as playing very near the bridge, over-bowing, and quarter tones, evoking rage and despair. This is set off against two long contrasting melodies, both very quiet and peaceful.
It begins suddenly, with two loud chords separated by long silences; more silences set off very short, quiet gestures, eventually leading into a sequence of broken chords growing ever faster and louder, leading into a more continuous fast, agitated section. Then, more silence leads into the long first melodic section, a quiet spiritual. The work continues along these lines, ending with a series of soft single plucked notes separated by silences and fading away.
Lament
for Solo Cello
Lament for Solo Cello is an alternative version of an extended solo viola piece written for Helen Callus, my colleague at UC Santa Barbara. It was written when, after my almost entirely melodic and tonal opera, Twelfth Night, I wanted to explore a very tonal space, using extended techniques, prolonged silences, and freely notated rhythms to evoke a world of rage and despair. The work opens with two sudden, loud chords separated by long silences. Short despairing gestures lead to a pattern of quiet broken chords, growing ever faster, louder and more agitated. Twice this anguished music is interrupted by gentle tonal melodies, the first evoking a quiet spiritual. After the second, the initial agitated music starts again and comes to a climax. The work ends with a series of soft single plucked notes, separated by long silences, and finally fading away.