ensemble high soprano, violin, ‘cello and piano
duration 20 minutes
written spring 2004
written for Charlotte Dobbs
premièred February 18, 2005, New Haven, CT
published by Andres & Sons Bakery

Looking back, Transparence of the World was a kind of watershed for me. It marked a strong shift away from my previous musical language (represented by big pieces like the Symphony and Piano Sonata). In this cycle, which consists of seven songs, I made a concerted effort to reduce the amount of thematic material (and the complexity thereof), putting greater focus on the melodic contours and “transparence of the orchestration” (rather aptly, I think). This transformation of style was borne of a desire to communicate with listeners more directly and with a minimum of pretense and self-consciousness. It was heavily influenced by my then-recent “discovery” of American minimalism— hearing pieces like Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians and Adams’s Harmonielehre for the first time, thanks in part to Lainie.

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