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Work

Piece 43 For Now : for orchestra

by Cathy Milliken (2020)

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Work Overview

Outrage over senseless acts of violence I read in the news; loss of artistic platforms; thankfulness for health; tremendous sadness hearing of people passing alone; sense of community -thinking of walking in the park with a friend; a welcome sense of fragility and even exhilaration have marked the rollercoaster months for me in the six months since the announcement of lockdown in March 2020.

The need however for change - societal changes addressing inequality and environmental - I feel are most urgent.

How does change come about? 'Temporal Distancing' or looking to the future is apparently the tool we should employ ( New York times) and Slavoj Žižek's call for a new societal and international re-organisation come to mind as does Heiner Müller's letter to Robert Wilson as he expresses the belief 'there is no revolution without memory'.

I have felt states of flow, exhilaration but also of stagnation and immobility and have no answer except that we collectively throw ourselves into the maelstrom of events and swim together overcoming inertia and fear to bring about change for the better.

Writing now for orchestra transformed to an overall quest as to how best engage orchestral forces - even when smaller- during this time of lockdown and general quarantine and I feel grateful and privileged to be given the opportunity to write for a live concert in a concert hall.

The initial inspiration for this work was the Sonnet 43 of Shakespeare, which delves into the contradictions of love, into the brightness of night. However, this work has found its own way through all that surrounds us, me, for now.

The structuring of the Piece 43 by 7 short eruptions is in memory of the shooting of Jakob Blake by police on August 23rd 2020 in Kenosha,USA.

Cathy Milliken September 2020

Work Details

Year: 2020

Instrumentation: Flute, oboe, clarinet in B flat, bass clarinet, bassoon, horn in F, trumpet in B flat, 2 trombones, timpani, percussion (2 players), piano, accordion, strings (6.5.4.3.2). String section can also be augmented eg 10.8.6.4.3

Duration: 15 min.

Difficulty: Advanced

Commission note: Commissioned by Donaueschinger Musiktage.. Commissioned by Donaueschinger Musiktage.

First performance: by SWR Symphonieorchester, Titus Engel at Donaueschinger Musiktage: SWR Symphonieorchester (On demand event (online only)) on 16 Oct 2020

The composer notes the following styles, genres, influences, etc associated with this work:
COVID-19 Pandemic, Black Lives Matter, Shakespeare

Awards & Prizes

Year Award Placing Awarded for/to
2021 Art Music Awards: Work of the Year: Large Ensemble Winner Cathy Milliken

Videos

Piece 43 for now
 

Subjects

Performances of this work

16 Oct 2020: at Donaueschinger Musiktage: SWR Symphonieorchester (On demand event (online only)). Featuring SWR Symphonieorchester, Titus Engel.

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