nightshade
Terri Schmit
About this work:
Inspired by the varieties of the nightshade plant, this piece reflects the dreamy and anxious moods created by its reported effects after being ingested.
Written in three movements, the first mirrors the luring and intoxicating effect of the belladonna. The second movement conveys the soporific effect of the enchanter's nightshade. Found only in the dark, damp woods of northern England, it was once used in witchcraft as a hallucinogen. The scherzo, a movement of nervous anxiety, expresses the effect of the mildly poisonous bittersweet nightshade.
Year composed: 2003
Duration: 00:12:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Unknown
Instrumentation: 2 Violin, 1 Viola, 2 Cello
Instrumentation notes: extended techniques include banjo pizzicato, bowing sub-ponticello.