Street of Apparitions (2013)
A Canonic Maze for Consort of Saxophones

Performed by the Manhattan Saxophone Quartet

Inspiration for “Street of Apparitions” came on me suddenly one evening as I was watching the opening scene of Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder, with its fine score by Duke Ellington (which I guess is where the idea for the saxophones came from).  There’s nothing to the scene really; the character played by James Stewart is driving his car home from a fishing trip through the streets of the small town where he lives. But that small town looked like the small town I grew up in, and it caused me to remember those striking moments common in childhood when our ordinary surroundings seem imbued with great spiritual significance, moments that confront us like apparitions on quiet streets.

Having chosen to write for the saxophone quartet, it occurred to me that it was the only standard modern ensemble that resembles the old Renaissance consorts with their unity of tone color and closer range proximities.  This called forth the idea of an equal-voiced work in the ancient polyphonic tradition, which called forth influences ranging from Machaut through Bach to Schoenberg, Messiaen, and Stravinsky.

The entire work is a strict repeating canon (which due to its length is only performed through once) constructed of thirteen smaller interlocking canons of various kinds and complexities (simple, inverted, retrograde, and in 2:3 prolation) employing all possible duet and trio textures within the quartet framework.  The smaller, interlocking canons are open ended; in other words, the last strands of one canon overlap with the first strands of the next, and so forth and so on till the end.  The only free elements are details of accent, tempo, and dynamic, along with some tonal responses within the canon structures.

Should anyone find the number of canons inauspicious, there is a free cadenza for the entire quartet between Canon XII and XIII that constitutes a fourteenth part to the work.  This cadenza interrupts, but does not break, the larger canon (in fact, the cadenza could be removed and the surrounding canons would fit together to close the gap).  The work ends when the larger canon comes full circle and begins to repeat.

Street Of Apparitions (2013)

Sinfonietta en Spirale, Requiem pour les martyrs du Liban
14 musicians (1F, 1Hb, 1Cl, 1Bssn, 1Horn, 1Tpt, 1tmbn, 2V, 1Al, 1Vc, 1Cb, Piano, Perc)

SINFONIETTA EN SPIRALE

VERDE

A slowly evolving four-part canon for string quartet. Dissonant harmonies resolve into other dissonant harmonies.

Adagio Molto for String Quartet

Nadim Tarabay is a Lebanese contemporary classical composer and podcast host. 🎶 Known for his innovative approach to sound, Nadim explores echoes, spatial fragmentation, and cultural heritage in his compositions. 🌍✨ His work has been performed internationally, blending classical traditions with modern experimentation. He is also the creator of Zagharid 🎧—a podcast that dives into the music and arts of the Middle East, fostering cultural dialogue and discovery. 🎤His work incorporates new experimental setups for traditional instruments. Furthermore, he is fascinated with the potential within traditional Lebanese music, specifically Maronite music, and is seeking its immersion within a more developed frame in relation with implied drone tones and spectral Harmony.
Nadim studied Piano (Diploma) , Solfege (Diploma), Harmony and Analysis at the NDU School of Music, as well as Composition at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, receiving the Dean's scholarship.
He also holds a Law degree from the University of Saint Joseph in Beirut.

As of 2021, he is a student at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) in the class of Stefano Gervasoni.

Composition Faculty, Manhattan School of Music

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