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David Clay Mettens - Lauda for the high and low places

from Music in the American Wild by American Wild Ensemble

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Lauda for the high and low places
Lauda for the high and low places is named after two different lauda: Monteverdi’s Lauda Jerusalem from the Vespers of 1610 and the Italian (especially Florentine) tradition of singing laude—songs of praise for feast day celebrations and processions. My Lauda is written in praise of the National Park Service for the occasion of the centenary of its founding. I was struck by a parallel between the opening of Monteverdi’s Lauda Jerusalem—a two-note motto sung by the tenor, followed by an overwhelming response from the choir and instrumental ensemble—and our relationship to these natural wonders. Upon encountering them, we have an opportunity to dramatically widen our perspective, contemplating our lives as individuals against the immense scale of the parks.

My piece features soloists (first the horn, then flute) in dialogue with larger subsets of the ensemble. Their florid monophonic lines contrast with large, blocked chords moving mostly in rhythmic unison. In a more contemplative middle section, thick, dark harmonies undergo a series of timbral variations. I explore the various coloristic possibilities of a single harmony, like nature’s proliferation of unique instances of a general form. The initial soloistic lines return in conjunction with the darker, low chords, followed by an airy concluding section.

David Clay Mettens
David "Clay" Mettens is a Chicago-based composer whose works have been performed across the U.S. and Europe by ensembles including Washington National Opera, Brussels Philharmonique, L'Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Tonkünstler Orchester, and Ensemble Dal Niente. His work has been praised by the Chicago Tribune as “a thing of remarkable beauty,” displaying a “sensitive ear for instrumental color.” He reflects upon the experience of wonder in music that ranges from rich and sonorous to bright and crystalline. He expects to complete a PhD in Music Composition at the University of Chicago in 2020. www.mettensmusic.com

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from Music in the American Wild, released October 10, 2018

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