Robert Gibson

Violoncello Solo

Composer's Note:

The Harmony of Tensions was commissioned by the 2020 Irving M. Klein International String Competition and is dedicated to the young musical artists of the Klein Compeition, present, past and future. The title of the work is taken from lines of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus (535 BC--c. 475 BC):

The cosmos works
by harmony of tensions,
like the lyre and bow.

- from Fragments (Penguin Books, 2003). Translation copyright © 2001 by Brooks Haxton.

The classical elements"”fire, water, earth and air"”form the metaphorical frame for exploring notions of change and transformation in the cosmos. For Heraclitus, these transformations begin and end with fire. Water and earth follow, but ultimately return to fire:

Fire of all things
is the judge and ravisher.

- from Fragments (Penguin Books, 2003). Translation copyright © 2001 by Brooks Haxton.

Heraclitus did not include "air" in this cycle, but this ineffable element seemed most appropriate to include in my cycle, since air is the medium for sound. While the musical materials vary from one movement to the next, there are elements that pervade each movement with connections to the others, and as the title suggests, the focus throughout is on harmony, which is often implied through melody.