The Song Longs for Light (2021)

Inspired by Federico García Lorca’s poem El canto quiere ser luz, this work for solo cello – titled the song longs for light – reflects the poem’s evocative imagery and metaphors of light, including its refractions and shifting shades. The music unfolds through stark contrasts, beginning with ferocious low-register runs that rise into moments of suspended stillness, marked by harmonics and open-string double stops – a recurring motif throughout the piece.

The cello’s journey mirrors a search for light, reaching towards it yet never fully attaining it. The middle section unfolds as a cantabile, deeply expressive passage in the bass register, evoking a melancholic yet resonant song. From here, the music builds intensity, leading to a powerful climax before dissolving into a slow choral with a dark, introspective character. The conclusion offers a final resolution – an open-string chord with a harmonic double stop, leaving the listener in a space of contemplation.