A Letter to the Moon

for trumpet, piano, percussion, and computer

ABOUT: Available on Decade Zero

A Letter to the Moon was written for and is dedicated to the SPLICE Ensemble. The work draws inspiration from the The Distance to the Moon short story that is part of Italo Calvino’s “Cosmicomics.” In the story the characters have an interdependency with the moon: they harvest materials from the moon when it is close enough. However, their situation changes as the moon’s orbit widens and it moves further from the earth. When this happens their actions no longer map to the same outcomes and they have no power to control the changing orbit. Additionally, some characters have undisclosed plans that further disrupt the normal flow of events. Musically the electronic processing represents the changing context in which the characters in the story exist: the actions of the performers have a variety of variably-predictable outcomes and the performers are not in control of those outcomes directly. The work is in two large sections. The second section is more action oriented and relates to the point in Calvino’s story when the characters are not able to return from the moon as intended.

SCORE

about the technology

The electronics are primarily live electronics that are advanced with a foot pedal. The percussionist triggers drum sounds with a drum pad or other MIDI device. The work can be performed in stereo, quad, or six channels.