Quiet SHadows Quartet Program Notes

The performer's position on stage (see staging example below) is the representation of those soldiers together yet apart with their thoughts, as they are keeping an eye out for danger. They know that they are protecting their fellow soldiers, which in turn protects the country they are serving (metaphorically, the audience).

The audience (those protected) never sees the soldier's face, but they know that these soldiers are safeguarding their way of life and are reassured.

This work has no restrictions on the performer's interpretation of these thoughts, other than the notes themselves. Dynamics, articulation, tempo, metric timing, and bar lines are none existent except in the performer's mind and his/her frame of reference based on the premise of the composition.

My purpose with this work is to create an interactive performance between the written notes and the instrumentalists who, hopefully, will bring his/her expressive interpretation of the thoughts of soldiers in this one unique situation.