Movement 3: Day and Night (1937) and Waterfall (1961) 

The third movement moves from Escher’s Day and Night into Waterfall to create a symmetrical conclusion to Escher Keys. Beginning in the sky of the first image, the listener moves back and forth, side to side between viewing the white birds and black birds, neither of which visually can be seen at the same time. Moving into the patterned, chess-like view of the fields, the viewer is confronted with two opposing rivers. Wooden timbres comprise much of the timbre pallet. Day and Night is the only woodcut I selected to be included in this piece. All the other pieces are lithographs. As the opposing rivers move into the cities, the listener shifts from Day and Night into Waterfall, which continues with fluid flowing movement from the opposing rivers. Like the first movement, the soloist in this movement retains its more traditional relationship with the orchestra interjecting his statements often to have the orchestra respond with atmospheric tessellations. After building back up solid pillars of the castle-like structure, defying logic, the middle section of this movement deconstructs from birds into missiles. The mysterious Shepard tones return over the war zone to conclude with the over blowing airy texture of the opening and perpetual motion of the rising harmonic series.

Escher Keys Mvt 3

Movement 2: Three Worlds (1955) 

The second movement reflects a less conversational relationship between the soloist and the orchestra. The timbre and dialogue is more subtle and introspective. There is great room for the soloist to interpret his perception of the artwork in the movement. This movement begins submerged under water, in the underworld. Gradually climbing through the reflected branches the second section of this movement moves into bird song. Starting out with a Messiaen-inspired bird song, the music moves to a deep cormorant call (native to Louisiana), a brief cry from a white-throated sparrow and general songbird calls all layer to create an otherworldly pallet. The descent of the leaves falling takes the listener back into the world below thus merging the three perspectives: the world above, below and on the surface.

Escher Keys Mvt 2

Movement 1: Ascending and Descending (1960) 

Mapped by register, irregular rhythmic patterns, endlessly rising canons and forever loops, the first movement is the longest of the concerto drawing on a traditional soloist/ensemble relationship. Starting with a dirge-like march reflecting the monotony of the circling monks, the piece shifts abruptly to the working activity of the monks with no practical purpose. With some variation, this pattern continues until the middle section of the piece, which descends to the second tier of Escher’s artwork; this section is focused on contemplation, reflecting out and the solemn arches representing the endless process of finite. Slowly descending to the third tier with Shepard tones in the background sounding as if the lines are moving upwards and downwards simultaneously, a familiar canon by Bach appears before returning to the forever loops. The movement ends with the figure looking outwards, monochromatic, as if a descent into nothing. Like Escher’s piece, this movement grapples with double meaning and contradiction.

Escher Keys Mvt 1

While recording the Brood X cicadas one particularly loud day in Baltimore, one intrepid cicada landed directly on my microphone and took a solo!

Brood X Cicada: Solo Edition (field recording)

Having a blast writing for Amy Williams' Interludes Project which she will be bringing to LSU in February.  Thanks to the Cage Trust for this awesome virtual instrument which is helping me expand my imagination on this masterpiece.  Having SO. MUCH. FUN.

Interlude Influenza teaser -- test opening

My song for the only only president of the USA in my lifetime who has proven through action and ethic his care for the wellbeing of the American people as a whole.

spearman's absynthe

Bully Greed

This piece is an arrangement of the Bach chorale "O Haupt voll blut und wunden" for bass clarinet, bassoon, and piano. Performed by Amy Advocat, Chris Watford, and Aaron Likness.

Abraham Lincoln's Mystic Chords Of Memory: chorale prelude #1

Secret Sky perfromed by Chicago Composers Orchestra, Allen Tinkham conducting.Photo credit, Daniel Lory.  Hands down this past October was one of the best career months I have had to date.  Thank you!

Rumi’s words anchor Secret Sky:

“This is love: to fly toward a secret sky, to cause a hundred veils to fall each moment. First to let go of life. Finally, to take a step without feet.”

Secret Sky is inspired by the island community of Beaver Island, Michigan. Robert Nordling and the Beaver Island Cultural Arts Center commissioned me to compose this piece as a part of the 2017 Baroque on Beaver Festival where it received its premier.

Beaver Island is an extremely ecologically diverse area. As a consequence, there are a plethora of bird species inhabiting the island. In tracking the bird patterns around the island, moving from the north end to the east side, around to the west side and back up the central, I discovered several sonic patterns (based on the bird calls themselves as well as their migration paths).

The North end begins with a lighthouse, a beacon of sorts. Then, migratory songbirds prevail with a brief encounter with a swan. Sparrows and flutters dominate the east side of the island with marshy foul and woodpeckers leading us around to the west side. Also, on the west side, we are introduced to the other lighthouse on the island, after which we move through a graveyard and then reach the highest bluff on the island. Finally, circling around to the central area, we experience the greatest habitat diversity with bluebirds and osprey, indulgent in their wavering squeals. An undercurrent of the piece is the subtle roll of a wave on the shoreline, moving interchangeably through the parts.

Secret Sky is dedicated to my uncle and godfather, James Gibson, 1949-2017.  Secret Sky was the result of work started at the MacDowell Colony during my residency in 2016.

Secret Sky: one hundred veils to fall (Chicago Composers Orchestra performance October 2019)

A rescore of a horror scene from the 2006 film, "The Abandoned"

Recorded by the Budapest Art Orchestra at the East Connection Recording studio in Budapest, Hungary.

Peter Pejtsik, conductor
Miklós Lukács, sound engineer

Eye See You

Nicolas Lira, tenor sax

Program Notes

This brief work, for tenor sax and fixed media, is in response to a call for works by my friend and saxophonist, Nicolas Lira. Nicolas posted the call on social media during the Spring 2020 Covid-19 shelter-in-place order. 72” duration was the only criteria. The specific duration reflects the often repeated (yet rarely heeded) PSA that six feet of space between individuals is needed to stop the spread of the virus.

The piece is influenced by the role global communication, especially social media, plays in our daily lives as we come to grips with this global pandemic. The shape and trajectory of the piece mirrors exponential graphs that chart the spread of the Coronavirus. A meme that references social distancing in relation to sound waves influenced harmonic content.

Performance Notes

The work is originally for tenor sax and fixed media. However, the piece may be performed with or without the fixed media part. The version in C may be performed by any instrument.

Curve for tenor saxophone and fixed media

Dedicated to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Hollyn Slykhuis, trumpet.
 
Written in 2019, "Free to Be" focuses on the landmark case, Weinberger v. Weisenfeld (1975). This case opened a new legal door for women in the U.S. Spearheaded by the voice of Ginsburg, "Free to Be" combines the words of many strong, empowered women who have achieved things people said could never be done due to gender biases and the traditional patriarchy. The trumpet joins these empowered voices, mimicking the syllabic rhythm of important phrases, such as Ginsburg’s title phrase “free to be.” I am grateful for the voices of the women included in this piece (Chimamanda Adichie, Angela Davis, Mo’ne Davis, Janet Guthrie, Nancy Lieberman, Megan Rapinoe, Sally Ride, and Malala Yousafzi) and to the many others who continue to promote equal rights for women. May RBG and her strong, tenacious spirit live on through their voices.

Free To Be - dedicated to Justice Ginsburg

Composer Mara Gibson is originally from Charlottesville, VA, graduated from Bennington College, and completed her Ph.D. at SUNY Buffalo. She has received grants and honors from the American Composer’s Forum, the Banff Center, Louisiana Division of the Arts, ArtsKC, Meet the Composer, the Kansas Arts Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the International Bass Society, ASCAP, the John Hendrick Memorial Commission, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, the MacDowell Colony and Yale University. Internationally renowned ensembles and soloists perform her music throughout the United States, Canada, South America, Asia, and Europe. Dr. Gibson has taught at the UMKC Conservatory as Associate Professor where she was the founder of the UMKC Composition Workshop and co-director/founder of ArtSounds. Starting fall 2017, she joined the faculty of Louisiana State University where she is currently Associate Professor of Composition and Area Head with tenure.  Mara released her first compilation CD ArtIfacts May 2015, with her second CD Skyborn released in November 2017 close behind through PARMA Recordings.  Her third CD project released in the summer of 2020 features Secret Sky performed by the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra.  Recently,  she completed her bassoon concerto, Escher Keys funded through a Louisiana Board of Regents (ATLAS grant).  Check out her upcoming projects and performances here: https://maragibson.com/ (under news).

Secret Sky: one hundred veils to fall (Chicago Composers Orchestra performance October 2019)

Mara Gibson

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