"There is the Rose in which the Word of God took on the Flesh, and there the Lilies are, whose fragrance led mankind down a good path."
Dante Alighieri
Divina Commedia; Paradiso

The Rose of Paradise

This evocative study for piano and vibraphone, an uncommon pairing, explores the dueling and complementary timbres of the two instruments. It ﬂows seamlessly between delicate interplay and indistinguishable oneness, painting a dreamlike soundscape. "Atmospheric Study No. 1" showcases extended techniques for both instruments.

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Atmospheric Study No. 1 (for Vibraphone & Piano) - Catherine Fields

Minimalist music for 10 flutes and 5 alto voices

Ambience for 10 Flutes and 5 Voices

Recorded by the Juilliard Orchestra in 2014; conducted by Jeffrey Milarsky.

Extraordinary Flora

Performed by Filarmonica Toscanini
Tonino Bautista, conductor
Monastery of of Saint Augustine, Siena, Italy.

The creative act requires that we become comfortable with being alone. The Slow Regard of Silent Things takes its title from a novella by my favorite author, Patrick Rothfuss. It’s a very unusual little book; there’s only one character, and no dialogue. And yet, It manages to create a deep emotional resonance by depicting the character’s relationship with her surroundings. To me, it’s a story about finding inner stillness and grace. It’s a story about experiencing beauty and transcendence in simplicity and subtlety by cultivating a deeper awareness of the world.

There’s a quote that I often had in my head while I was composing, a quote that beautifully captures the quintessence of the creative act. It illustrates a peculiar and ineffable mindfulness, which, for artists, feels like a brush up against the true alchemical gold.

“She took a slow and steady breath. There was a tension in the air. A weight. There was no wind. The world grew stretched and tight. Her tiny feet upon the stone floor were bare. She stood, and in the circle of her golden hair she grinned and brought the weight of her desire down full upon the world. And all things shook. And all things knew her will. And all things bent to please her.”

The Slow Regard of Silent Things

｢11 - 17｣ Bo En - Be Okay (Seiho Remix)

Cassandra was commissioned in 2015 by the Melodia Women’s Choir of New York City. As a female composer writing for a women’s choir, I found it fitting to create a work that tells a story about an extraordinary woman. I have always been fascinated by Roman and Greek mythology, and I chose to gather multiple texts that together relate the tragedy of the Trojan princess Cassandra.

According to myth, Cassandra was one of the most beautiful women in the world, second only to Helen of Troy. The god Apollo, hoping to seduce the princess, made her his priestess and gave her the gift of prophecy. When Cassandra refused him, he cursed her so that no one would believe a word she said. Thereafter, the Trojans viewed her as a madwoman, and she lived a life of isolation and misery. Following the destruction of Troy, Cassandra was captured by the Greeks and made the concubine of Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and commander of the united Greek army. Upon reaching Mycenae, Agamemnon’s wife, Clytemnestra, murdered Cassandra in a jealous rage.

We don’t know if the princess actually existed, but I wonder - if we strip away the supernatural elements of Cassandra’s story, what was actually “wrong” with her, if anything? I like to imagine her as formidably intelligent and outspoken, an extraordinary woman millennia ahead of her time.

The Rose of Paradise

Catherine Fields Music

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