THEN ECLIPSE
for clarinet, violin, cello & piano
completed 2018
11 minutes
inquire directly about purchase of score and parts
$45.00 US, score and parts
THEN ECLIPSE full score: page 1
Program Note
In conceiving this quartet for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano, I found myself reflecting on August 21, 2017, when much of the United States stood in collective anticipation of a total solar eclipse crossing the country. That shared moment of wonder unfolded against a backdrop of intense social and political division, and my thoughts turned to an ancient account by Herodotus that seemed to echo the present with uncanny force.
Herodotus recounts that in 585 BCE, after a prolonged war between the Medians and Lydians, the two armies met near the River Halys in modern-day Turkey. During the battle, day suddenly turned to night. Interpreting the total solar eclipse as a form of divine warning or censure, both sides laid down their weapons. The spectacle of the natural world briefly overwhelmed human conflict, bringing the war to an end.
Inspired by these events, this one-movement work unfolds in three parts: conflict, eclipse, and resolution. The central eclipse section is timed to reflect the duration of the total solar eclipse of May 28, 585 BCE, inviting the listener into a similar experience of awe, suspension, and sudden stillness—a moment in which nature itself seems to call for peace.
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