Update Title: 2C5AA449-5737-49EC-A544-F49358C70DE0

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Inspired by Primo Levi's writings on the Holocaust, the piece takes its program from the ability of the human spirit to transcend the most devastating of circumstances, to survive and to bear witness.

The first movement, With great intensity - strained, almost violent, represents fear, both controlled and uncontrolled - the internal cry as well as the external. The music, characterized by pounding bass chords in the piano, and fast tremolandi in the strings, alternates between violent outbursts and controlled subdued lines. Primo Levi writes that when new arrivals disembarked from the trains, they immediately sized up the situation and were struck with uncontrollable fear. At the same time, those who survived had to control that fear and they had to be keenly alert at all times. Those who succumbed to the fear lasted only a few days.

The second movement, played attaca, is entitled As if in a dream. It represents memories of times past - memories which were essential to survival in the camps. The music of this movement is characterized by the muted violin melody of the opening along with the floating piano accompaniment and the arpeggio, which enters with the cello. Towards the end of the movement, after the arpeggios have had their play, a new melody is introduced in the piano. This melody is to become the basis of the fourth movement.

The third and fourth movements are combined with a transition between them. The third movement is a "Scherzo barbare", Very fast, rhythmic, and precise. The traditional scherzo is given a context of awkward, angular movement. The idea is of the prisoner who watches the dance of the guard. By seeing the barbarism of the prisonkeeper, the prisoner rises above. He knows that he is still human whereas the tormenter has lost his humanity - and is nothing but a barbarian. The scherzo has a simple ABA form -- the A section being characterized by a fast-moving dance in the strings accompanied by piano chords (transformation of the chords from the first movement). The return of the A begins the transformation of the process of transcendence. The angular quality of the line is softened and the harshness recedes. From here the transition to the fourth movement begins with a section marked Suddenly mysterious. This is followed by a reminiscence of the violin music in the second movement, this time played in cello harmonics. The finale begins with a statement of the ending tune from the second movement Slow and stately. From here a succession of quasi-variations proceed to the end of the piece. Even in the end, the low chords from the first movement are present but this time softened - transformed, transcended.

The accompanying tape is of a performance by the Guild Trio (Janet Orenstein, Brooks Whitehouse, Patricia Tao - Joanne Rile Management). The piece was commissioned by the Guild Trio with funding from the Chamber Music America/Lila Wallace Commissioning Project and the Port Jefferson Arts Council.

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