for two spatially separated chamber orchestras (Orch I: flute(piccolo), oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn, trumpet, trombone, piano, 2 perccussion, strings //Orch II: flute(piccolo), oboe(english horn), clarinet, bassoon, frecnh horn, trumpet, trombone, organ, percussion, strings)
Described by Fritjof Capra in The Tao of Physics as “a rhythmic play which goes on in endless cycles, the One becoming the many and the many returning into the One,” Lila is a Hindu creation myth in which Brahman, the supreme universal spirit, transforms himself into the world. Frehner draws a parallel between this concept and his own compositional process: a single musical idea may seem to come out of nowhere to become part of the composition, travelling and developing in many possible directions. Such ideas offer divergent pathways, yet only one is followed in each piece. In Lila, Frehner plays with the possible “seeds” of the composition, developing some to their ultimate end and leaving others untapped. While the work contains no overt references to eastern classical music, certain rhythmic and metrical aspects of the score derive from Frehner’s interpretation of that music’s traditions.
Performed by:
Ensemble contemporaine de Montréal
BIT20 Ensemble
Commissioned with generous support from Mr. Michael Koerner and the Conseil des arts and letters du Quebec