Babylon

Bradley Fletcher

9 views

Solo

2020

7 min.

Alto Saxophone

Winds

Program Notes: The inspiration for Babylon is the lost city and empire of Babylon (1900 BC - 1000 AD). Few historical subjects have been so widely documented and at the same time are written about in such contradictory accounts. Many descriptions from the time of Babylon view it as the then pinnacle of human civilization, a grand and glorious city. The Hellenic seven ancient wonders of the world include the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon, which has inspired countless works of art. On the other side, however, Babylon is vilified by the Abrahamic faiths, which portray the enslavement of Israel, the tyranny of the evil King Nimrod, and finally the mention of “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Prostitutes and Abominations of the Earth” in the Biblical chapter of Revelations. In my work, Babylon, I juxtaposed contrasting techniques and moods to enter into a dialectic with these differing accounts of the city. The glories of Babylon can be heard in rising major figures and moments of fanfare, while the believed evils can be heard in tense moments of multiphonics which mimic, but ruin, the glorious figures. All of these, combined with moments of the player wandering at will between given note collections, work to portray the fascinating legacy of the ancient city.