Sheol

for six instruments and electronics

Conducted by Luke Camarillo; Piccolo/Bass Flute, Eric Bergeman; Bass Clarinet, Ethan Morad; Piano, Zihan Wu; Percussion, Liam McManus and David Wang; Violin, Eric Wang; Cello, Yu-Ping Wu; Electronics, Parker Callister.

Commissioned by OSSIA New Music.

Performed in the Ray Wright Room at the Eastman School of Music, May 1, 2022, as part of OSSIA New Music’s concert series.

Sheol is described in the Hebrew Bible as a place of darkness that lies after death. This piece is inspired by various cultures’ interpretations of death, afterlife, meditation, resurrection, reincarnation, as well as the cyclical nature of time. As serious as these concepts are, it can be argued that there are metaphorical parallels that are found in everyday life. The narrative of the piece follows an entity’s struggle to stay alive, its descent into death, a visit to purgatory, its corporeal reincarnation, and its eventual afterlife. Pitch, harmonic, gestural and structural material derived from waveforms found in additive synthesis have been implemented in both concrete and abstract ways throughout.

Full Score