Fly through the night, and land near dawn
five dances of migration
for violin, violoncello,
and mandolin/mando-cello
Duration: 12.5'
2022
Commissioned by Nancy Karp + Dancers, for their 40th anniversary performance, this work provided the climax for the dance by the same name, following Fox Hollow and String Quartet for Two Instruments. It is scored for violin, cello, and one player playing mandolin and mando-cello. The dance was first presented at the Paul Dresher studio in Oakland, California in October, 2022.
The title is a reference to various aspects of the dance, as well as the Covid pandemic and the political situation in the United States.
The work features driving rhythms and is in arch form: Vivace, Allegro, Moderato, Allegro, Vivace. It is often in odd meters, particularly 11/8, and includes variations on a Yiddish theme. The five sections are named: “fly…”, “...through…”, “…the night…”, “…and land…”, and “…near dawn.”