Through this ocean glass

Gibson Mahnke

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Small Ensemble

2024

8 min.

Cello

Clarinet

Flute

Piano

Viola

More Details

Program Notes: "Through this ocean glass" is a musical and philosophical analysis of sea glass. Sea glass is broken glass that has been discarded into the ocean and physically and chemically weathered into smooth, frosted glass “stones.” On the one hand, this is a beautiful process in which an artificial product is reintegrated into nature, as opposed to the norm in which we as humans take materials from nature and manufacture them into something artificial. On the other hand, this is a process born out of pollution and brings up the question: is “sea glass” as a concept positive or negative? Is it a beautiful showcase of the power of the natural world, or does it present yet another example of how humanity is ruining the planet we call home? "Through this ocean glass" is broken into three sections: 'i. shatter', 'ii. ebb', and 'iii. return'. Each of these sections details a part of the process sea glass goes through to reach its final form. 'i. shatter' seeks to represent the initial act of pollution as the glass is broken and introduced into an unfamiliar natural world. 'ii. ebb' takes one through the process of the glass being weathered by an endless stream of waves. Finally, 'iii. return' presents the glass returning to shore in its new form and asks the question: was it all worth it? | Through this ocean glass, the Earth is a blur. How long until we can no longer see?
Recording Notes: Recording: Diogo Carvalho Mixing/Mastering: Bakhari Nokuri
Ensemble Name: Ensemble PHACE (Thomas Frey [Flute], Reinhold Brunner [Clarinet], Petra Ackermann [Viola], Barbara Riccabona [Cello], Mathilde Hoursiangou [Piano])