In writing LUNE, I was inspired by the nocturnal sound world of Lake Dunmore in Leicester, VT, where, on a summer evening, the air is filled with long, wailing loon calls that echo across the lake. The pitch content of these loon calls provides the harmonic fabric of the piece, in which the haunting calls in the electronics provide a dialogue partner for mournful lines in the violin. As the work reaches its climax, the pad of sound that provided the environment for the interplay between violin and loon intensifies and briefly threatens to overtake the texture, before receding back into the hazy night. The type of loon call heard here is specified amongst other loon vocalizations as a “wail,” which is used by individuals to locate other loons. I wrote LUNE for violinist and longtime friend Lilit Hartunian. It is dedicated to her and to the memory of our childhood friend Simon Chernack, who passed away while I was writing the piece. This tombeau for him, like the loon calls, consistently wonders: “Where are you?”
LUNE
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LUNE Performed in the Cube at Virginia Tech by Sarah Plum
Tonight in the Cube at Virginia Tech Sarah Plum is playing my piece LUNE for violin and electronics as part of their Music and Technology Festival. She’s also playing some other amazing pieces by Eric Lyon, Kyong Mee Choi, Randall West, Charles Nichols, Joo Won Park, and Mari Takano. It’s been a joy revisiting this […]
