Wizard Island
At Crater Lake National Park, a small island sits in the middle of the lake. Wizard Island, named for its wizard-hat shape, is a sacred place for the native Klamath tribe. While thinking about this location, I thought about the name of the island, its mysterious appeal, and its stunning location.
This septet is a fantasy on the idea of a prehistoric ceremony, inspired by this island on a lake in a great caldera of an ancient volcano. The first movement depicts a procession: horn calls and drums, along with a blaring overtone chord, signal the beginning of the event. The second movement is a scherzo-type movement, fast and mercurial. I imagine a crowd of people fussing around, showing magic tricks, playing and making merry before the big event. The third movement has a lyrical hymn-like melody which I imagine is some kind of special prayer for the sacrifice. In the final bars, the drums and blaring chords return, as the cello crescendos to a fever-pitch and a sacrifice is made to the gods.
Jeff Myers
The music of Jeff Myers has been called “Striking…and harmonically rich” by Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times. His music has been commissioned and championed by Hilary Hahn, JACK Quartet, and American Lyric Theater. Myers's music has been performed in venues such as Tanglewood, Carnegie Hall, The Library of Congress, Darmstadt, Het Muziekgebouw and Fort Worth Opera. He has garnered awards from institutions such as BMI, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and The Fromm Foundation for his orchestral and chamber music. Myers lives in New York City and works as a freelance composer and copyist.
www.jeffmyersmusic.com