GRAvity

Gravity was inspired by Artemis Poppy’s poem, which explores the idea of beauty in the midst of a storm. In my interpretation of her work, the clarinet represents the butterfly that the narrator sees in the first line. At the beginning of the piece, the narrator is chasing the “gracefully delicate” butterfly, always just one step behind. As the piece progresses, the soprano and clarinet become farther and farther apart in interval, until they are distanced by 2 octaves. When the clarinet repeats its butterfly theme at the end of the piece, the soprano is so fatigued, she can barely follow. Finally, the butterfly flies away, leaving the narrator behind. I am grateful to Artemis Poppy for her words and to Angela Lamar and Javier Elizondo for allowing me to write this piece for them.