Things Unseen

Program Notes

Things Unseen was commissioned by The Commission Project for the Ying Quartet (resident faculty quartet at the Eastman School of Music) in 1998.

My initial inspiration for the work was the observation of my son (three years old at the time) as he adjusted to living in a new home. The house had many more floors and areas than our previous one, and seeing his animated fear in this new surroundings inspired the chilling but often whimsical tone of Ghosts.  It also happened to be the fall when I began the quartet. I recalled the fun way in which fear is portrayed as part of Halloween for children. The remaining three movements continued upon this pattern; Fear (Ghosts), is followed by mystic awe (Spirits), warmth (Angels), and whimsy (Gnomes).  

Before we had Freud or Jung to help explain our modern sense of self, these simple and colorful characters gave sense and meaning to our experience of the sub-conscious and mystical.  In fact, as the present noise of our hyper aware and connected present seems to further overtake our inner lives, they feel even more alien, intriguing, yet inviting to me. 

– Things Unseen