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| reaching after | |
| Date Completed: | June 25, 2003 |
| Duration: | 9 minutes |
| Instrumentation: | 'cello (scordatura) |
| Comments: | commissioned by, dedicated to and written for Lawrence Stomberg |
| Program Notes: | reaching after for scordatura cello was commissioned by, written for and dedicated to Lawrence Stomberg. Instruments and the music written for them often have rather involved pasts. When Larry Stomberg asked for a solo for scordatura 'cello (I have to thank David Russell for recommending me to this great musician) I knew before-hand the other works it would be presented with. And I couldn't help but think about the history of the 'cello and its repertoire, as well as its continuing presence in my life. Inspired by Larry Stomberg's phenomenal playing and musicianship, I felt myself moving far beyond my usual boundaries. The resulting work contains many cross-indexed references and allusions to some of my earlier works (and to works by others that I admire) but contains no quotes. I think of the title, reaching after , as referring to (among other things) earlier works called Ricercare, the idea of researching the past through memories or objects left behind (how many passionate hands and minds have played our instruments before us?...) and the image of reaching after phantoms from the past or glimmers from the future. R Z |