The
Twilight of Our Minds, for large orchestra with electronics,
is based on several paragraphs selected from roughly the first
half
of Albert Camus’ novel The Plague. The paragraphs
were read by a narrator and recorded, and are used in their entirety
in the electronic part. The rest of the piece is essentially
constructed
around these paragraphs. I have become increasingly interested
in Camus’ allegorical novel recently due to the universality
of the message (or messages) it attempts to convey. Indeed, its
depiction of a community coming to terms with a threat beyond
its
control, struggling to deal with a growing sense of fear and
isolation, has become strikingly relevant of late.
The electronic part is designed to be performed live by a single
performer with a laptop on stage. The output of the laptop should
be broadcast by a stereo pair of speakers, placed on either side
of the orchestra. It is also possible for the electronics to be
delivered through CD playback.
