Composition
Redolence, Op. 4
Year of composition: 2018
Instrumentation: alto flute, bass clarinet, horn, marimba, viola, double bass
Duration: 5½ mins
Reminiscence is like fragrances: intangible but unavoidable, sweet but obsessive. Redolence takes on the double meaning of the word. It paints a mesmerising picture of harmless thoughts deeply rooted in the subconscious, wiggling out of the soil like a budding flower but slowly intoxicating the senses.
The work is written for an unusual combination of low instruments. The double bass traces the awakening of subconscious thoughts from deep slumber in the hypnagogic opening, starting from its lowest note on concert E1 and slowly climbing into prominence. A simple remembrance of things past first becomes an addictive perfume and soon swells into a suffocating compulsion. Any attempts of resistance, the horn call, is destined to land on deaf ears and only fuels its dominance. When the double bass once again breaks through the texture reaching an almost surreal F5, logical order is toppled as the horn plays an almost impossible concert C1: it is a point of no return. Objectivity succumbs to obsession. The horn call finally returns one last time, but in its more submissive inverted form, and the unyielding thought suddenly disappears into thin air. The peace of mind is once again restored.