Along with the orchestral score ". . .that heaven's vault should crack. . .", this piece is dedicated to my late sister, who passed away in 1996, of cancer. The piece is cast in the form of a theme with 5 variations. However, the variation technique employed is slightly different than the classical model. For an explanation, see the note for my "Second String Quartet". The theme was written quickly, in a flash of emotion only days after receiving the news that Stefanie, my sister, was re-diagnosed with lymphoma. In the ensuing days and weeks I attempted to work out the theme, to 'make sense' of it. Work on the piece was interrupted for the summer, as my family and I spent it by Stefanie's side. The final draft was completed in the fall. The result is a sparse, brooding, grey work; A very personal testimony of my emotional state at the time.
Performance history:
3/98 - by Stefan Litwin
Miller Theatre, New York City.
5/98 - by Stefan Litwin
'Musik im 20. Jahrhundert' Festival. Saarbrucken, Germany
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