Program Note

Composed to the eponymous poem by the American writer Ursula K. Le Guin, Six Quatrains is a song cycle which captures six unique scenes in autumn, winter and spring. My goal is to make each quatrain a short song that has its own particular character and essence. The ensemble consists of a piano trio, but is broken into smaller combinations throughout the cycle, culminating in the full compliment (piano, violin and cello) playing together only in Hinal song. The different instrumentation for each quatrain reHlects the individual character of each scene, and the additive process of enriching instruments introduces different colors as the work unfolds.