Last Leaf
Instrumentation: flute, clarinet, violin, cello
Year Composed: 2015
Duration: 7 minutes
Program Notes:
On an early morning hike, I remember being strangely moved by a small, twisted birch tree, completely barren save one golden leaf. I believe beauty that we find and uncover can be more moving than beauty that we are shown directly. Last Leaf is an invitation to find beauty in things simple, humble, and close by. (The phrase “last leaf” is also the title of a poem by Oliver Wendell Holmes that uses this image as a metaphor for a man at the end of his life.)
What is now the first movement of the work was commissioned by the Society for New Music as part of a celebration for the American Composers Forum on its 40th Anniversary.
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