Cenotaph I (2019) for chamber ensemble and tape
6’45”
This piece was inspired by the Cenotaph for Isaac Newton, a giant, unbuilt structure designed by 18th century French architect Étienne-Louis Boullée. Boullée's proposed structure led visitors through a dark, narrow entrance that opened dramatically into a giant central sphere punctured with holes arranged in constellate forms. The tape part for my piece is built from planet sonifications produced by NASA and the opening and closing bars of Mozart's Maurerische Trauermusik (“Masonic Funeral Music”) K. 477.
Performed by Empyrean Ensemble, Nathaniel Berman, conductor. 2 June 2019. Davis, CA.