Three Images (2013)

for string quartet

Duration: ca. 12'

Movements

  • I. Blue Skies, Red Sun 4'00"
  • II. Sprouts, Shoots, and Leaves 2'00"
  • III. Hidden Scrolls 6'00"

Commissioned by the American Craft Council and the Occasional Symphony

  • Premiere
    February 22, 2013
    The Occasional Quartet
    The American Craft Council Show, Baltimore Convention Center
    Baltimore, MD

Three Images was written for and premiered at the American Crafts Council show in Baltimore, and each movement was inspired by a piece of art from different artists at the show.

Ann Brauer’s art quilt, Clouds, inspired the first movement, and features three red suns against a blue horizon. The music focuses on the contrast between the lightness of the sky and the ominous character of the red sun.

Nebiur Arellano’s silk painting, Musical Garden, was the basis for the second movement. Its dynamic and abstract image of a garden is reflected by musical depictions of sprouting flowers and plants.

The third movement is inspired by Pat Littlefield’s paper construction, Mysteries and Secrets, in which a hidden compartment reveals an unravelled scroll written in some indecipherable language. The music evokes ancient sounds, and cryptic glimpses of a forgotten melody lead toward some alluring secret.