Christopher Lowry (b.1988)
“Zenith (for Jackson), for Viola and Tape, Opus 46”
World Premiere Performance - Christopher Lowry, viola
American Viola Society Festival: June 22, 2024
Thayer Hall; Colburn School of Music; Los Angeles, CA
Audio/Video by the Colburn School A/V Team
Further editing/mixing by Christopher Lowry
About the piece:
“‘Zenith’ is a word with multiple definitions, the first and most common of which is the moment of something’s or someone’s most prominent success or power; another definition is the astronomical ideal of an imaginary high point on the celestial sphere directly above the observer. Drawing inspiration from both of these definitions, this piece symbolizes a constant ascent upwards towards an infinite goal, one which can never be fully achieved-not because of a lack of capability, but because options and potential are limitless.
“Musically, the piece takes loose inspiration from spectralism in that the principal compositional element is timbre and the principles thereof (the elements of pitch and rhythm do not really come into play until over a minute into the piece); the motivic and melodic content, however, does not adhere to any strict rules and rather unfolds in a somewhat-stream-of-consciousness way. The electronics part consists entirely of different samples taken from the viola; when recording these samples, I chose to use three different violas in order to generate different tones and frequencies of the same indefinitely-pitched timbres. Many of the sounds created in the piece, which involve bowing and rubbing various surfaces of the body of the instrument as well as the bridge and tailpiece, are meant to imitate the sound of wind, the flapping of wings, the calling of birds, and any other sounds associated with flight. Other sounds, such as harmonic glissandos and loose imitations of Shepard Tones, play into the general conceptual idea of the sound of soaring and continual ascent.
“While the media is fixed, I wanted there to be a sense of indeterminacy within the piece; the solo part, though written out quite clearly, gives plenty of room for a sense of quasi-improvisational indeterminacy. Though some of the sounds heard in the electronics are imitated in the solo part as well, most of this is in reaction to what has already been heard instead of serving as a defining motive of the development of the piece. Rather, the viola part is somewhat reflective and rhapsodic in its interaction with the surrounding sounds.
“’Zenith’ was commissioned by Terri and Tom Harmeyer to celebrate the graduation of my friend Jackson Harmeyer from Indiana University with a Masters’ Degree in Library Science; given Jackson’s variety of interests, research, and scholarly accomplishments, the creation of this piece celebrates his potential for greatness in his field as he continues to reach for and beyond his goals. The sky is the limit!”
Additional Note for Performers:
At the end of the piece, the violist will need a capo, which is used to “fret” the instrument at third position (resulting in the open tuning of FCGD). While this can theoretically be accomplished with a guitar capo, I highly recommend the Violin Capo produced by Peter Stoney at The Fretted Fiddle (www.frettedfiddle.com/violin-capo) due to its arced shape that fits the curvature of the fingerboard.
For information on purchasing performance materials for this piece, please inquire at christopher.d.lowry@gmail.com