Fission (2018-2019)
Written for clarinet, saxophone, cymbal, and piano
Premiered at Wayne State University on March 27, 2019 as part of a student composers concert.
Many of us haven't cared about the periodic table of elements beyond that final exam we were desperately trying to pass in high school chemistry class, but Sam Keen's book The Disappearing Spoon really peaked my interest. In one particular passage, Keen describes the process by which we can determine the age of the earth by studying how radioactive elements break down into three isotopes of lead: 204, 206, and 207. These numbers glided into music as I translated them into pitch class numbers in my head and spawned the Lydian-based melody that became the basis for Fission. The first movement presents three different musical ideas in this Lydian mode that flicker, coalesce, and decay at separate rates over the duration of the piece. Since the first movement feels like we are walking into something already in motion, the second movement presents us with a primordial origin story, a way to clarify how the first movement came to be.
Premiere Recording:
Clarinet- Michele LaNoue
Saxophone- Aaron Plegue
Cymbal- Eric LaNoue
Piano- Mario Sulaksana
Conductor- Andy Jarema