the farthest distance

Duration: 24'

I. Holiday Ruse (for Robert Rauschenberg)

II. Say Goodbye Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor (for Cy Twombly)

III. Rothko Chapel (for Mark Rothko)

IV. Regard the Light (for Dan Flavin)

Instrumentaton: (Picc., 4 Fl., 2 Ob., E.Hn., 6 Cl., B.Cl., Cb.Cl., 2 Bsn., C.Bsn., Solo Sop. Sax, Solo Alto Sax, Solo Tenor Sax, Solo Bari Sax, 4 Hn., 4 Tpt., 3 Tbn., 2 Euph., Tuba, Timp., 5 Perc., Pno., Cb.)

Program Notes:

The Farthest Distance (2017), for saxophone quartet and wind ensemble, is inspired by the Menil Collection art museum in Houston, Texas, as well as the beliefs and activism of the museum's founders, businessman and philanthropist Jon de Menil (1904-1973) and his wife Dominique (1908-1997). The de Menils were avid collectors of contemporary and indigenous art, as well as ardent believers in the importance of art in modern society. The couple considered exposure to art to be a basic necessity, and important in the search for personal meaning. To this end, they formed the Menil Foundation and later the Menil Collection to share their art collection with the public free of charge.

In addition to their interest in art, the de Menils were also fierce advocates for civil rights. In their philanthropic ventures, they gave money and support to a wide variety of causes and organizations dedicated to helping marginalized communities in historically segregated Houston. This included giving financial backing to charities such as the Black Panther Party's free lunch program, donations to prominent African-American politicians such as Representative Barbara Jordan, and funding for art shows and galleries in disadvantaged neighborhoods.

The follows an overarching narrative inspired by the de Menils' philosophies on art and social activism. In particular, the piece reflects the belief that one of the fundamental purposes of art is to encourage introspection and empathy, and that these traits are necessary for the creation of a truly enlightened and tolerant society. The narrative moves from conflict and chaos in the first two movements, to introspection and enlightenment in the third, and then finally acceptance and celebration in the fourth. Each movement is based on a work found in the Menil Collection, by artists Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Mark Rothko, and Dan Flavin, and approaches interpreting each artwork in a different manner.

I. Holiday Ruse (for Robert Rauschenberg)

Part of the "Night Shades" series of paintings, Holiday Ruse incorporates screen-printed photographs onto a large aluminum canvas. The opening movement tries to capture the nocturnal and slightly sinister mood of the painting, as well as its monochromatic color palate, through the use of an insistent bassline that is in a state of perpetual flux. In search of a "correct" version of the motive, the bassline is constantly varied with shifting uneven rhythms, changing transpositions, and different ending notes. As the attempts become more and more frustrated, the saxophones occasionally interrupt, breaking down the material into smaller pieces that are repeated and reworked obsessively. The movement culminates in a series of statements of different "correct" versions of the bassline, with an even rhythm, the right transposition, and the right ending note.

II. Say Goodbye Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor (for Cy Twombly)

Twombly's enormous painting, Untitled (Say Goodbye Catullus, to the Shores of Asia Minor), is based on the artist's imaginings of the Roman poet Catullus and his journey to Asia Minor, the battles and adventures he experienced along the way, the death of his brother, and his eventual return home across the sea. To portray this, Twombly uses a series of clashing abstract gestures and images, as well as interspersed bits of poetry taken from sources ranging from Rilke to Archilochos. The music seeks to follow a similar narrative, focusing on the constant clashing and interruptions of the saxophones and the ensemble. After reaching a large climax, the music, like the painting, fades gradually as if disappearing over the horizon.

III. Rothko Chapel (for Mark Rothko)

Though not technically part of the Menil collection, Rothko Chapel was commissioned by Dominique de Menil and stands adjacent to the museum's campus. Containing fourteen large, dark monochromatic Rothko paintings and lit only by a skylight at the center of the room, the non-denominational chapel space is meant to be a place of introspection and reflection. It was in this spirit that, in the wake of the political turmoil of the 2016 elections, I paid a visit to the chapel. While the meditative nature of the room was immediately apparent, I was struck by the way that this atmosphere was aided by the transfixing, almost hypnotizing effect of the paintings. As the natural light shifted overhead, the canvases were activated, bringing a sense of constantly changing, shimmering motion to the dark and static paintings. The third movement attempts to recreate the experience of viewing this play of light on the paintings through the interactions of the saxophones, which play a series of constantly shifting, interlocking figures. As the piece progresses and the light continues to fluctuate, the saxophones begin to break off one by one with chant-like melodic phrases that culminate in a dense and ecstatic counterpoint, representing the resultant feelings of peace and acceptance.

IV. Regard the Light (for Dan Flavin)

Utilizing the artist's characteristic fluorescent tubes, Dan Flavin's Untitled installation at Richmond Hall represents the final work of his career. The installation is comprised of rows of fluorescent lights arranged in a sequence of four alternating colors: pink, yellow, green, and blue. Intersecting the rows of lights are a line of ultraviolet fluorescents, meant to blend the colors on the reflected surfaces. In the music, each color is represented by a melody taken from a different movement of the piece. These melodies are assigned a specific saxophone and key area, and alternated in a sequence that continue to get shorter and shorter as the piece progresses. As the sequence collapses, the saxophones come together and the four melodies are blended, creating harmonious counterpoint from what were originally juxtaposed statements.

The title, The Farthest Distance, is taken from an anecdote from the poet Rilke, in which he describes the struggle of a group of oarsmen rowing a boat down the Nile. Every time they would falter and lose rhythm, a man at the front of the boat would begin singing, aiding the men in reestablishing their rhythm. In this instance, Rilke recognized that the relationship between the oarsmen and their physical labors and the singer and his view of the horizon mirrored Rilke's own ideas about the role of the poet (or artist) in society: to keep an eye on the metaphysical and act as a beacon towards the acheivement of enlightenment. As Rilke put it, "Whilst those about him were always occupied with the most immediate actuality and the overcoming of it, his voice maintained contact with the farthest distance."

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