Instrumentation: 2 violins, viola, cello, piano
Duration: 9:40
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Program notes:
When I begin to write a piece, I usually refrain from attaching a specific title or image to it until much of the work is complete and there is an image or scene that comes to me freely but won’t disappear. While writing the initial sketches of Obsidian, rippled in moonlight, gleams, I originally thought of moonlight being reflected on a body of water.
As I continued writing, the image of obsidian soon became a metaphor for the water. I eventually began to cling to that visual as the overarching theme. In spite of its darkness and opacity, obsidian is a stone that readily reflects light. Though it is a byproduct of a volcanic eruption — a devastating and catastrophic event – this stone represents the beauty that can be found even in the most trying of times.
This piece was premiered by the Salastina Music Society in Pasadena, CA on April 6, 2019.
Sakari Dixon Vanderveer 