For solo cello, 4′
издишване (“izdishvane”), meaning “exhalation” in Bulgarian, is a song about the act of singing. It is inspired by the composer’s experience as a folk singer, and by the folksong worlds of Bulgaria, Corsica, Ireland, and everywhere in between. It is also an investigation into the concept of an unending modal transposition, where the patterns of a mode do not loop back on to themselves but instead extend infinitely in either direction. Despite its theoretical underpinnings, the piece should be performed very intuitively, as if it were being improvised on the spot. The ornaments can be interpreted in a variety of different ways up to the performer, but should always sound spontaneous and smooth.
Matthew DeChant 