ORIGINAL VERSION DETAILS

COMMISSIONED BY: Andrew Hosler and a consortium of saxophonists, with additional generous funding provided by The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance EXCEL Enterprise Fund
WORLD PREMIERE: April 16, 2022 | Andrew Hosler, soloist; Kim Fleming, conductor; musicians of The University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, & Dance | McIntosh Theatre, The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

CONSORTIUM MEMBERS

SAXOPHONISTS
Peter Leung | New South Wales, Australia
Jonathan Steltzer | Wayne County High School, Jesup, GA
Nick Nutter | Monroeville, PA
Ben MacDonald | Arizona State University, Mesa, AZ
AJ Pratt | Clinton Township, MI

When Drew Hosler commissioned me to write this chamber concerto, I knew that I wanted to write about humanity’s connection to nature and the living world as we know it. If our species is to continue, it is vital that we maintain, nurture, and nourish this connection. However, factors including, but not limited to, the devastating effects of climate change brought about by irreparable damage to our planet, investments in fracking and the continual mining of fossil fuels, and corporate greed are actively damaging this connection.

This concerto is a single-movement, stream-of-consciousness tone poem divided into conjoined sections. The beginning of the work is inspired by the visual imagery of the third stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s poem “Each and All,” which portrays beautiful, delicate seashells formed and molded by violent waters. The destructive, yet beautiful aspects of nature are depicted in contemplative, yet murky textures of sound.

I will never forget my first viewing experience of the critically acclaimed films of director Hayao Miyazaki, particularly Princess Mononoke and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Miyazaki tends to explore deeper themes of environmentalism and pacifism in many of his films, including the destructive effects of human greed, overconsumption of natural resources, the devastating effects of human conflicts and war on our environment, and the creation and use of technology that ultimately causes more harm than good to our planet. The second section of this concerto is inspired by these themes, conjuring up mechanical, rigid, and lifeless rhythmic grooves with dark and unsympathetic undertones.

The desolation and eventual transition to renewed life which follows is inspired by Sara Teasdale’s “There Will Come Soft Rains”, a poem which suggests that nature, in the end, is not entirely affected by human conflict and war, and that it will ultimately thrive beyond such devastation and destruction long after our species is gone.

The title of this work is taken from a line of Dora Sigerson Shorter’s poem “Wishes”: “I wish we could die as the birds die, / To fly and to fall when our beauty was best; / No trammels of time on the years of our face; / And to leave but an empty nest.” The piece ends as if having achieved true serenity from cold uncertainty, finally at lasting peace.

My sincerest gratitude to Drew for commissioning To fly and to fall, and to all of its consortium members for supporting this work.