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to build a fire

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Trio
2023
9 min.

Alto Saxophone

Electronics

Flute

Trumpet

More Details

Program Notes
to build a fire is based off of the Jack London short story of the same name, in which a man is accompanied by a husky dog into Yukon territory despite its inherent risks. The musical materials of the work are formed from contrasts in the protagonist’s mental dispositions, which fluctuate between states of temporary safety and inextinguishable panic. This is reflected in the musical languages presented to the performers, which are constantly in flux and give the performer varying levels of flexibility depending on the mindset being represented. Ultimately the work is about the performers as much as it is about the psychological journey of the protagonist, as they themselves are pushing into the unknown with no certainty of success. Aesthetically this work captures the Yukon landscape and its paradoxes, being peacefully hostile, intensely bleak, and as the end of the story suggests, fatally divine.
Recording Notes
Performed on January 26th, 2024 by Dice Trio in Ades Performance Space at the Manhattan School of Music.
Ensemble Name
Dice Trio: Adeline DeBella (flute), Grace Pressley (saxophone), Sam Friedman (trumpet)

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