When the Fog Lifts by Robert Traugh

When The Fog Lifts by Robert Traugh
Slippery Rock University Flute Ensemble
Dr. Cassandra Eisenreich, Director
Program Notes:
"Dr. Cassandra Eisenreich reached out to me in early 2020 to begin conceptualizing a piece of music for the 2021 Honors Flute Choir at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania. Through the process, she shared with me a recording of the Oslo Kammerkor singing a traditional Norwegian folk song "Når mitt øie, trett av møie" (translated as "When my eye, tired of toil"). This piece of music was so beautiful and straightforward, in 2020, it was precisely the type of music that resonated with me. I used Når mitt øie, trett av møie as the inspiration for When The Fog Lifts. Drawing upon the opaque nature of what the world has been going through in the last year amidst a global pandemic, contentious election, and general cloudy future; I used this idea to inspire the piece. The use of melodic fragmentation, an aeolian flute palate, vocalization, and tonal clouding give the listener a sense of watching the fog lift and give way to more clarity. This piece resembles that idea, leading to the apex of the work directly inspired by the traditional folk melody. This time, a melodic transcription at its most transparent. Ultimately, the fog lifts and gives us a sense of resolution. Writing this in late 2020, I hope that our collective future will develop similar clarity in the months ahead." -Robert Traugh