Nocte lux

for two cellos, bass and electronics

Performed by the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble: Leighton Fong, Tanya Tompkins, cellos and Michel Taddei, bass.

Program Note

Nocte lux, night light, takes inspiration from urban night photography. I love the sense of movement in photos taken at night, where something close to a light source is well-etched and then dissolves into dark, pointillistic graininess or when it comes to glow with beautiful bokeh, a pleasing blurring of out-of-focus points of light.

Seeking to create a sort of auditory chiaroscuro that reflects these visual transitions, the music in Nocte lux uses electronic sounds and live processing of the performers’ playing to break the music down into washes of sound particles that dissolve into the background or abruptly emerge from it into sharp focus. Cellist Leighton Fong worked with me to help uncover some less-common playing techniques that might support this vision in the instrumental writing. The piece was commissioned and premiered here in the Bay Area by the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble.

More information: [Nocte luxe performed by the Eco Ensemble], [Nocte lux performed by the Left Coast Chamber Ensemble (video)]

Computer-assisted composition from Nocte lux: