Andrew Cole
Nearo
program notes
Kristin Bacchiocchi-Stewart, flute
Jamie
Schneider, oboe
Mark Edwards, guitar
Sally Sarles, viola
Domenica Romagni, cello
Nearo means narrow or close in Anglo-Saxon. In this sense I see the title as a metaphor describing my current aesthetic in regards to harmonic implications and motion. The piece is built around a series of 7 chords containing between 4 and 9 notes. While the chords and chord changes often have a semblance of tonality, the motion is almost entirely non-functional. The implied tonal center is continuously shifting around groups of clusters, often emphasizing different notes in the same chord. The chords are continuously re-orchestrated and slowly merge with one another to create the impression of continuous suspension and chromatic motion. In essence, my goal was to create a constantly shifting sense of tonal suspension, where any harmonic motion gives the appearance of a definite teleological goal, that is rarely achieved.
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