Dispatches is an eight-movement work that focuses on the very human emotions of love and desire, including the darker side of these, as well as the effects of separation on the heart and mind. Using a small chamber ensemble to help emphasize the intimate qualities of ourselves, and exploring both typical and extended techniques, Dispatches leads the listener through an epistolary melodrama of two lovers’ collective experience of separating and coming to terms with that separation. The relative calm nature of the musical material throughout most of the work allows for the creation of a quasi-meditative state. Through this comes an intense focus on the text, in the form of letters, and how it conveys meaning through language. By juxtaposing one live and one prerecorded voice, the sense of separation and the emotional toll are magnified and allow for a meaningful exploration of a difficult situation.
Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations