Ondes Cassées by Anteo Fabris

This entire piece is a series of waves, some within others, permeated by fractional moments of silence so as to imbue a landscape of serenity with a persistent sense of uncertainty. This music is my attempt to extend the brief, infinitesimal moment between the rise and fall of a wave in the ocean. Having reached the end of its buildup the wave hangs in midair, waiting for gravity to pull it under. This is the point at which the wave is broken but hasn’t fallen yet; the point at which the wave has fully relinquished its stability and awaits its imminent collapse. This is a moment we all know within ourselves as well: one characterized not only by our stillness, but also by our calmness as we lie prone, vanquished and uncertain in the embrace of the forces which will bring us down.

Written for the "World Premieres / 2 Composers" concert series
Premiered at Christ Church, New Haven, November 21, 2016
for 4 violins