Closing Reception featuring: (un)certainty, Figure to the Ground, and Stars/Dark
Performances by Abby Fisher, with Owen Davis and Rob Wallace
(un)certainty (2024) by Lawton Hall, Figure to Ground by Andrea Mazzariello, and Stars/Dark are three pieces that will be performed in this concert, each offering a unique exploration of rhythm and complexity. (un)certainty, scored for solo marimba and electronics, delves into the tension between surety and doubt, inspired by advances in particle physics. Its five movements range from bold, frantic chords to quiet reflection, culminating in a rhythmic battle between marimba and electronics. Figure to Ground, written for Abby Fisher, simplifies rhythmic complexity into a single syncopated figure, gradually dissolving the pulse until a late melody reasserts it. Both pieces demand courageous performances, inviting listeners into deep contemplation of time and structure. Stars/Dark was conceived first as a text and then as a co-composed musical piece. Rob Wallace’s original poem draws from a number of sources as inspiration, including the lyrics of Robert Hunter, and the cosmos-related culture of Flagstaff and the Colorado Plateau. The music sets the text in a dark sky of non-metered metallic sounds and drones, punctuated by a section of drum-based metered explorations.
