spring cadenzas (2021) Program Note
i. fields, mountains
ii. wake, butterfly
iii. unknown spring
In Fall 2020, Midori contacted me about writing a concerto that she could perform remotely with youth orchestras and also live in subsequent seasons. During the winter of the pandemic it felt uplifting to compose music imbued with hope and energy. The piece takes the form of interlocking cadenzas, played without pause, in which Midori leads the orchestra through a series of musical episodes. The movement titles are derived from translations of Basho’s delicate, poignant haikus.
-Derek Bermel