Valerie Nuzzolo, clarinet

Nathan Cornelius, guitar

This piece is based on the “wail” call of the common loon, an evocative and characteristic
sound of the boreal forests of North America. The birds use this three-note ascending call to
communicate their location to their mate or to birds in neighboring territories. The two
instruments are often in dialogue with each other, while at other times, one or the other plays a
background role akin to the rippling water of the loon’s habitat. Non-equal-tempered natural
harmonics on guitar, and pitch bending on clarinet, allude to the eerie microtonal sound of the
call. The melodic gestures are based on several different combinations of intervals
approximating the contour of the “wail” call. Combining these intervals into larger pitch sets
gives rise to the harmonic structure of the rest of the piece, which emphasizes minor seconds
and perfect fourths.