Instrumentation
piano, violin, and cello
Duration
7 minutes
Program Note
It may be tempting to think that the mention of “irregular time” in the title of this piece refers to some aspect of the music itself. While this may indeed be the case, my initial conception of the title referred more to the continued “irregular time” we live in, rather than any unusual rhythmic content.
The first three movements are short panels for each of the instrumental duos contained within the trio: the first sparse and vacant, a kind of scene setting; the second languorous and searching; and the third at turns neurotic and radiant. The final movement (as long as the first three combined) was inspired by a surrealist image of a Gaudí-esque cavernous space, resplendent with large uncut rubies; a space in which I immediately wanted to hear music played in. It is that imagined music that I wished to capture in this movement, which gradually, yet inevitably winds down—perhaps giving the sense of the candles in the cathedral slowly being extinguished.
This work was written for and premiered by the Neave Trio at the 2023 Mostly Modern Festival (Saratoga Springs, NY).
Selected Performances
Slee Sinfonietta
June 4, 2025
University at Buffalo (Amherst, NY)
Cleveland Institute of Music New Music Ensemble
April 6, 2024
Cleveland Institute of Music (Cleveland, OH)
Cleveland Institute of Music New Music Ensemble
October 29, 2023
Cleveland Institute of Music (Cleveland, OH)
Neave Trio
June 15, 2023 (World Premiere)
Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Tristan Wilson 