Thorvaldsdottir: In the Light of Air Michael Nicolas

• Anna Thorvaldsdottir (1977-): In the Light of Air
• 1 I. Luminance 07:49
• 2 II. Serenity 09:48
• 3 III. Existence 03:37
• 4 IV. Remembrance 15:56
• Transitions
• 5 Transitions 10:41
• Total Runtime 47:51

Info for Thorvaldsdottir: In the Light of Air

In the Light of Air is a tetralogy of works by Icelandic composer Anna Thorvaldsdottír that together form a unified structure, written for viola, cello, harp, piano, percussion & electronics. The four main movements are titled Luminance, Serenity, Existence and Remembrance, and are connected by transitions to form a seamless flow throughout the work.

The work also has a Prologue and an Epilogue. The work streams from one movement to the next through a flowing texture of sound materials and harmonies.

The music material is constructed with a focus on subtle nuances and poetic textures that form lyrical gestures throughout the work. Melodies are generated just as much by sounds, gestures and nuances as by pitched lyrical material.

For the work, Anna designed an installation of metallic ornaments that are used in a solo in the percussion part in Remembrance. The ornaments, called Klakaboend in Icelandic (which translates as 'a bind of ice'), are created by Svana Jósepsdóttir. Parts of Remembrance insisted on echoing the melody of a song that Anna's husband - Hrafn - wrote and dedicated to her in 2000.

'In the Light of Air' was written for the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE) in 2013/2014 as part of their ICElab.

'Transitions,' the final piece, was written for Michael Nicolas in 2014. The theme of the work is 'man & machine', and is represented in that the cellist becomes both in the piece - man & machine. Man indicates expression and emotion, and machine indicates maximal technical accuracy, a somewhat stricter approach to the music. These two approaches transition from one to another throughout the work.

Kyle Armbrust, viola
Michael Nicolas, violoncello
Nuiko Wadden, harp
Cory Smythe, piano
Nathan Davis, percussion

Michael Nicolas
Hailed by critics from the New York Times and the Washington Post, “brilliantly assured” cellist Michael Nicolas is one of the rising stars of his generation and a dynamic performer on the classical and contemporary music scene, in demand as a soloist, chamber musician, recording artist, teacher, and music writer. He captivates audiences across North America, Europe, and Asia with his ravishing tone, refined musicality, and probing interpretations of a wide variety of repertoire. After graduating from the Juilliard School, Michael was appointed Associate Principal Cellist of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, with which he played over the course of four seasons, but made the uncommon decision to trade a stable, tenured job for a more flexible and multifaceted career path, and also to dedicate more time and energy to a particular passion of his: the music of the present. Michael is currently a member of the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), and has worked with many distinguished composers – Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Mario Davidovsky, Steve Reich, Kaija Saariaho, Charles Wuorinen, John Zorn – as well as countless others of his own generation. His many festival appearances around the world include the Bridgehampton, Chamber Music Northwest, Huddersfield Contemporary Music, Iceland Airwaves, Lincoln Center White Light, Marlboro Music, Mostly Mozart, Ravinia, and Wien Modern festivals. Michael is also a member of Ensemble Ditto, a chamber music group based in South Korea that has garnered extraordinary success in reaching new and more diverse classical music audiences. They have achieved a massive fan following, selling out concert halls all over Korea and Japan, and have released albums through the Universal Korea label. Of mixed French Canadian and Taiwanese heritage, Michael was born in Winnipeg, Canada, and currently resides in New York City.

Booklet for Thorvaldsdottir: In the Light of Air