Windows (2019)
clarinet, viola
c. 7 minutes
Composed for the TaiHei Ensemble as part of the 2018-19 Lan Su Chinese Garden Project
Premiered by Darlene Mueller (clarinet) and Rubi Yan (viola) of the TaiHei Ensemble
Berwick Hall, Eugene, OR, 12 February 2019
Performance below by Gunnar Hirthe (clarinet) and Esther Nahm (viola)
Pilgrim Congregational UCC, Cleveland, OH, 26 June 2021
c. 7 minutes
Composed for the TaiHei Ensemble as part of the 2018-19 Lan Su Chinese Garden Project
Premiered by Darlene Mueller (clarinet) and Rubi Yan (viola) of the TaiHei Ensemble
Berwick Hall, Eugene, OR, 12 February 2019
Performance below by Gunnar Hirthe (clarinet) and Esther Nahm (viola)
Pilgrim Congregational UCC, Cleveland, OH, 26 June 2021
The Lan Su Chinese Garden in Portland, Oregon, contains fifty-two “leak” windows, each with a different design. These windows offer unique views into other rooms of the garden; some look ahead to where the visitor is going, while others look back on where she has been. Inspired by the diverse perspectives created by these leak windows, Windows presents its musical content from multiple angles. The work is organized by a series of “windows”—moments where the clarinet and viola come together in long-held notes—that offer different views of the same musical material. With each window, the material is reinterpreted, presented anew, and transformed. The piece ends with one final window that leads the listener to reflect on what she has heard and look toward what lies ahead.