Sisyphus
Sisyphus (2024) • orchestra
Performed by Chicago Composers Orchestra
Conducted by Allen Tinkham
St James Cathedral, Chicago
Performed by Chicago Composers Orchestra
Conducted by Allen Tinkham
St James Cathedral, Chicago
Program notes for Sisyphus:
One possible interpretation of the myth of Sisyphus is that death is avoided by filling up life with endless, meaningless, repetitive tasks. Another potential interpretation is that those in power can impose rules that are harder than death. Or that even dying has a steep price for those disempowered. Or that those disempowered don’t own their lives nor their deaths.
Starting a new piece, to me, is a way to attempt to access a tiny window of time in the future, while being entrenched, trapped, blinded, by the present. The present to me, seems bleak: yes, there are birds, beautiful mountains, colors, some kindness, some hope, some beautiful actions, but ultimately, we have a parasitic relationship with nature (and often with one another), which will disproportionately harm those who are disempowered. But we keep going. In the same way. Day after day, sisyphean motion.
Another component of writing this piece is my problematic relationship with the concept of an orchestra. Writing music for orchestra is a conflicting task for me: I tend to associate orchestras with eurocentrism, music for the aristocracy, obedience and homogeneity; "like-sounded” instruments doing their best to conform into a homogeneous, tamed discourse. Sounds that deviate from the norm are othered as “exotic”, “strange”, “animalesque”, ”unpleasant”. Other than that, orchestras are expensive, rehearsals are few, and successful orchestral composers tend to make aesthetic decisions that show servitude to the frail musical taste of most orchestral patrons. Not to mention that the vast majority of orchestral music performed by well-funded orchestras are composed by dead white men from Europe, perpetuating the idea that women don’t belong to the creation of orchestral music. That said, I’m grateful to the Chicago Composers Orchestra for commissioning me this piece, for championing music that defies the status-quo, for their openness and for taking the risk of performing this piece, despite the lack of cozy moments for the audience.
Considering this background, Sisyphus seemed to be the appropriate muse. The lower strings convey the attempt to ascend, while the percussion, indifferent to the effort, continues its horizontal line impassively, as time does. The economy in the sound palette is intentional – bleak, dry, rock. There are moments of temporary arrivals, hopeful oasis, resting stops that vanish or crumble. Towards the end, rather than the upward effort collapsing into a downward motion, both rising and falling gestures happen simultaneously, finishing the piece in both limbo and oasis.
One possible interpretation of the myth of Sisyphus is that death is avoided by filling up life with endless, meaningless, repetitive tasks. Another potential interpretation is that those in power can impose rules that are harder than death. Or that even dying has a steep price for those disempowered. Or that those disempowered don’t own their lives nor their deaths.
Starting a new piece, to me, is a way to attempt to access a tiny window of time in the future, while being entrenched, trapped, blinded, by the present. The present to me, seems bleak: yes, there are birds, beautiful mountains, colors, some kindness, some hope, some beautiful actions, but ultimately, we have a parasitic relationship with nature (and often with one another), which will disproportionately harm those who are disempowered. But we keep going. In the same way. Day after day, sisyphean motion.
Another component of writing this piece is my problematic relationship with the concept of an orchestra. Writing music for orchestra is a conflicting task for me: I tend to associate orchestras with eurocentrism, music for the aristocracy, obedience and homogeneity; "like-sounded” instruments doing their best to conform into a homogeneous, tamed discourse. Sounds that deviate from the norm are othered as “exotic”, “strange”, “animalesque”, ”unpleasant”. Other than that, orchestras are expensive, rehearsals are few, and successful orchestral composers tend to make aesthetic decisions that show servitude to the frail musical taste of most orchestral patrons. Not to mention that the vast majority of orchestral music performed by well-funded orchestras are composed by dead white men from Europe, perpetuating the idea that women don’t belong to the creation of orchestral music. That said, I’m grateful to the Chicago Composers Orchestra for commissioning me this piece, for championing music that defies the status-quo, for their openness and for taking the risk of performing this piece, despite the lack of cozy moments for the audience.
Considering this background, Sisyphus seemed to be the appropriate muse. The lower strings convey the attempt to ascend, while the percussion, indifferent to the effort, continues its horizontal line impassively, as time does. The economy in the sound palette is intentional – bleak, dry, rock. There are moments of temporary arrivals, hopeful oasis, resting stops that vanish or crumble. Towards the end, rather than the upward effort collapsing into a downward motion, both rising and falling gestures happen simultaneously, finishing the piece in both limbo and oasis.