Exhalation
(2021)Orchestration
‘cello (electric or amplified) and live electronics
Duration
5 minutes
Commissioned by/Premiere
Commissioned for Johannes Moser by Segerstrom Center for the Arts with
the generous support of Elizabeth and Justus Schlichting.
Premiered by Johannes Moser on August 21, 2021, at Oranjewoud Festival, Netherlands.
Score
Purchase from Project Schott New York
Listen
Electronics:
Note
The concept of Exhalation was inspired by a science fiction story by Ted Chiang. The story is an autumnal account of a mechanical alien race dying off because of the equalizing of pressure between two atmospheres. I imagined the processed pizzicato cello in my piece as a single breath from these creatures. The granulation effect in the work fragments the breath into endless particles, allowing them to slowly come to homeostasis with the surrounding environment.