geht auf wie eine Blume (2016)

Official selection for the 2021 ISCM World New Music Days representing the Canadian section

Premiered by Ensemble Paramirabo
26 March 2016
Salle Multimédia, Conservatoire de musique de Montréal

flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, amplification (optional)

The title, geht auf wie eine Blume, comes from the first half of Martin Luther’s German translation of Job 14:2. In English, the full verse reads, “They spring up like flowers and wither away; like fleeting shadows, they do not endure.”

In 1534, Luther published a complete translation of the bible into German, believing that people should be able to read it in their own language. Analogously, this piece is a translation of my musical influences into a language I have yet to fully comprehend. This particular language comprises of sounds that are fragile and ephemeral, qualities that recall the relentless passing of time.