Asa Nisi Masa

Composed for Trond Saeverud’s musical gifts - this piece allows the performer to lead the orchestra while playing the solo part, not only by marking the beat, but also feeding the players specific harmonies, melodies, and rhythms, in effect instructing them what to play through his own playing. It was inspired by seeing Saeverud conduct a Beethoven work while simultaneously playing the solo part. When he asked me to write a piece for the Passamaquoddy Bay Symphony Orchestra in Eastport, Maine, I seized the chance to showcase him again as soloist/conductor. I also drew inspiration from the preeminent folk instrument of Trond’s native land [Norway], the hardanger fiddle, and its highly ornamented music that features drone notes and the resonant vibrations of sympathetic strings.