In That Cold Place
Bruce J. Taub
About this work:
In That Cold Place was written for violinist, Roger Zahab who premiered it at The University of Akron with pianist, Robert Frankenberry. The title is taken from a passage in Dante's Inferno that refers to the Ninth Circle:
"Tears in that cold place
prevent their weeping; grief lies
frozen on each face
in the balls behind eyes:
tightening mask, ice agony,
impacted crystal cries."
The piece (like the "inferno") is in the shape of a spiral in a very abstract sense, but musically can be listened to as a series of four variations in which many passages return in different contexts (literal repetitions by the violin with new accompaniment by the piano and the reverse). Also see my notes for Impacted Crystal Cries. In That Cold Place is published by C.F. Peters Corporation.
Year composed: 1993
Duration: 00:13:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Keyboard plus One Instrument
Instrumentation: 1 Piano, 1 Violin