Strange Dreams and Lullabies

The initial idea for the piece that was to become "Strange Dreams and Lullabies" was a collection of short minimalistic movements. Stylistically, this still holds somewhat true to the piece, but somewhere along the way I had the idea for each movement to be alternating from a lullaby to a "dream." The first movement presents the lullaby theme, which can be heard most dominantly in the piccolo. The second movement is based on an abstract idea of weird shapes... just kind of happening (I feel like I've had a dream about this before). This heavily rhythmic movement features repeating material that sort of dissolves at the end. The third movement (second lullaby) features the lullaby theme again with fugue-like entrances of each pair of the woodwinds. The sweet lullaby falls apart with the entrance of the lone tuba, who has no one to couple with. The fourth movement (second dream) represents some kind of strange mechanical device and is, like the second movement, rhythmically driven. The fifth and sixth movements are combined into one; the first part presents the lullaby theme in the lower voices, shrouded in a textural veil by the other instruments. The second part was based on a recurring dream I have where I'll have moved back to my childhood home. These dreams are always confusing to me; I'm never happy that I had to move back there, but at the same time it's warmly nostalgic. 

“Strange Dreams and Lullabies” was commissioned by a consortium organized by Jeffrey de Seriere and premiered on November 5th 2016 by Les Vents.