Elegy (2014) for String Quartet and Flute

Premiered on September 16, 2014

Penn State University Erie, The Behrend College

Logan Series, Music at Noon

Commissioned by The Behrend College of Penn State University Erie

Dedicated to the family of Leslie Curtis, and the Cavani Quartet and Madeline Lucas

Cavani Quartet

Annie Fullard, First Violin

Mari Sato, Second Violin

Kirsten Doctor, Viola

Merry Peckham, Cello

Madeline Lucas, Flute

An elegy, or mournful poem, being a literary genre suggested to me an expressive, lyrical quality in music. While the piece reflects the various moods we may experience when dealing with loss of a loved one, I ultimately sought to make the experience of Elegy for string quartet and flute an uplifting one. It begins with a somber, yet warm character and moves through musical thoughts and deep-felt phrases as if the quintet were reading a poetic elegy together. It concludes with a lyrical cello solo that welcomes a bright sense of awe similar to the sensation of walking into a cathedral where you can't help but look up.

In 2017, I was asked to compose a companion piece in memory of Kay Logan, for which the Logan Series was named, for solo flute. Cobalt Prelude for solo flute was the result - composed for Madeline Lucas. Cobalt Prelude can be performed on its own or as a prelude "proper" to the quintet.