Andrew Mark Sauerwein

[Program Note]

A Darkened Glass, for cello solo, draws on several musical and extramusical sources: “A Hidden Life,” a narrative poem by Scottish writer and theologian George MacDonald; the book of Ecclesiastes (particularly the closing verses), and a turn-of-the-century hymn set by William Jeater, “None Other Lamb.” The initial plan for the piece involved punctuating the five movements with interludes by a small instrumental ensemble, but that idea evaporated, leaving only the odd-numbered movements for solo cello. The “Prelude” presents a kind of mysterious puzzle, distilling the material of the above hymn and my reharmonization of it into a strange and obscure brew. “Deep Thunder (Heart's Desire)” elaborates on the prelude, yet does little to unravel the mystery, instead making every effort to take control of the situation and get on with it. “Needle's Eye of the Storm” (a reference to camels and hurricanes) displays a kind of subdued self-importance, interrupted occasionally by moments of skittish paranoia. In “Moment of Truth,” the reharmonized hymn begins to emerge. Beginning with a horn call, the music gradually builds to a peak of agitation and evaporates in resignation, still mystified. “Epiphanologue” (combining “epiphany” and “epilogue”) brings the hymn (finally) to the fore, first in relative darkness and then in more direct light. In this way the final verse of the hymn text is linked with Ecclesiastes 12:13b: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.”