Loss of Thought (2021)

Bb Clarinet, Marimba | ca. 5'30"

Program Note

Loss of Thought is a work of mine dedicated to my Grandmother, who’s eight-year battle with dementia continues to persist. While I’m content with the tender care she has been receiving in her wonderful nursing home, I’m angry -- no matter how much I want to stop this disease, there’s nothing I can do. The music I’ve written symbolizes these two feelings.

This work incorporates proportional notation into an overarching Minimalist style. The two ends of the piece are written proportionally, allowing for ambiguous interpretation in regards to note lengths and moments of silence. These sections, which are set in the key of A minor, primarily focus on the Clarinet, exploring the mid to low range of the instrument. The middle section is exclusively in a tonal-Minimalist style centered around Eb Major, where the Marimba acts as a temporal anchor for the Clarinet, now exploring its mid to high range in a more melodic manner. This middle section is separated into two parts by a brief technically demanding interlude; tonality is more freely explored here. The composition ends quietly and fades to nothing, leaving the listener suspended in silence.