Snow, and the scent of fallen leaves (2012)

(Elegy-fragment)
melody instrument, harmonic accompaniment instrument
5 min.

I wrote this short piece in the wake of a great loss in my family. The title refers to a time of year bringing transition, a gradual seeping away of color and life. The music is hesitant, expectant, with the melody line confined to a narrow register, constantly retracing its steps, as if unable to move on. The accompaniment patterns feature harmonies in a constant state of slippage, promising relief one moment, only to fall back into melancholy the next. The piece is very much a fragment, a thought left incomplete, and is not meant to be conclusive, only reflective of a moment in time.

The piece may be performed by any combination of a melodic instrument and harmonic accompaniment.