cosmic echoes
Duration ca. 8' (2002)
trumpet (in C) and organ
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Premiered by the Steven Hendrickson and Bill Neal, National Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC, February 23, 2003.
Other performances: Brandon Eubank and Michael Lodico, Washington, DC, May 5, 2010; Rene Hernandez and James Anthony, Baltimore, MD, September 23, 2008.
However the most memorable and significant piece on this disc is, for this listener, ‘Cosmic Echoes’ by the young American composer, Jonathan Leshnoff. This is one of the most imaginative and compelling works for trumpet and organ that I have ever heard, and ought to be widely known by trumpeters everywhere. There is a haunting quality about it that will ever remain with me.
—Arthur Butterworth, MusicWeb International, August 2006
Program Note
In this composition, I reflect, musically, the relationship of our human existence within the vast and infinite cosmos. Our cities, intellectual innovation and insights demonstrate mastery of the physical world, but compared to the huge galaxies that surround us, what are we? This is the “cosmic,” unanswered question which the trumpet asks at the beginning of the composition. At times, the ensemble answers with fury and later with resigned silence. The composition concludes in a mysterious, introspective fashion, as the answer is never reached.
Though there are many passages written for the resounding, strident sounds of the trumpet and organ, I also utilize the subdued and contemplative qualities of these instruments.
This composition was written for and dedicated to Steven Hendrickson.