Electronic Mockups of Self-Evident

I envision Self-Evident as a response to our current perilous political climate, inspired by the searing phrases of our Declaration of Independence, all as we approach its 250th anniversary. I imagined the orchestra not only playing the rhythms and accents in those phrases, but literally speaking them and swirling them around in three part spoken chorus. Below are the purely instrumental movements.

Movement 1 Declaration Fanfare begins with the trumpet sounding a fanfare motto that is the source for the entire work. The motto wavers between the two notes D and D sharp. They represent for me the conflict implicit in the Declaration, of whether or not we can attain its bold and original ideals. Whether we the many can agree as one on equality for all, and government that serves rather than rules us.

Movement 3 E Pluribus Unum (from the many, one), is quite literal. A large sound mass compresses to a single tone (the note E, a “solution” to the conflict of D and D sharp?) that then dissolves in a tug-of-war that dissolves into a musical collage alla Charles Ives that combines 7 different American tunes. Let me know if you can hear them all!

Movement 5 Rage is an aggressive war piece based on an ostinato (repeated pattern) in the cellos and basses. It collapses in an aleatoric section near the end where different sections of the orchestra partially improvise and play out of time with each other. (This electronic realization can’t do that)

Movement 6 Remains follows Rage as a short expressive lament with muted strings and woodwinds. You may be able to hear the harmonies of its theme melt both the D and D sharp notes together.