Life of Birds

for Flute, Clarinet, Violin, and Cello Approximate Duration: 13' The ambitious nature of the title and its many satellite movement headings belie the study of miniatures that is Life of Birds. Creating a web of short but dense moments from the aviary immediately stuck me as a way into the unusual ensemble, comprised of two winds and two strings.Some movements relate a pithy narrative; others live on a more abstract level. “Moving Parts” opens the work with a flurry of activity that needs little explanation. The lazy nodding-off of “Parakeet Daydream,” illustrated by hushed delicacies low in the instruments, receives several unwelcome awakenings at key moments. “The Caged Bird Sings,” the heart of the piece, encapsulates a long-lined melody in a cage of minimalist figuration. The melody seems to escape from its confines in the central section, but it is only an fleeting illusion. A mating dance on tiptoes unfolds in “On a Wire,” where the two winds persist in singing their lovesong desp