David Liptak

Flute, Clarinet, and Cello

Composer's Note:
Commissioned for evening outdoor performances in parks and other natural venues, Two Nocturnes may also be performed in more traditional concert settings. The two movements are titled 1. Stone and Leaf and 2. Under Starry Skies, and outdoor performances in which Stone and Leaf is played at dusk, followed by Under Starry Skies in darkness, match the imagery of the music. When the timing of outdoor performances is not quite right, or when the music is performed in more traditional settings, the performers are invited to reflect upon their own thoughts and images of just before, and just after, sunset.
Two Nocturnes was composed on commission from Music in the American Wild, supported by a 2017 Project Grant from New Music USA. The premiere and first group of performances are by Emlyn Johnson, flute, Ellen Breakfield-Glick, clarinet, and Daniel Ketter, cello, in various locations within the North Cascades National Park in the American northwest during their Music in the American Wild residency from August 21st through the 25th, 2018.