麻豆社

Isata Kanneh-Mason performs the world premiere of a new piece commissioned by 麻豆社 Radio 3 for International Women's Day 2021.

Movement I: Dream Morphing
Movement II: Processing Atonia

Composer Natalie Klouda writes:

This work is an ode to the "nights in" that 2020 brought to my world. The first Nightscape, Dream Morphing, draws on my feelings of distance from loved ones in both time and worry during 2020. Through dreams we often play out our fears and hopes, and here one world morphs into another through space and time. This work was written for Isata Kanneh-Mason, and near the end of this movement there is a "wakening" moment: a melodic seven-note cluster representing Isata and her six siblings. Waking up and realising that your loved ones are safe is a blessed feeling.

Processing Atonia is a very different beast. From March 2020, my usually erratic professional schedule suddenly stopped. My nights were no longer filled with music, concerts and travelling. With a simpler schedule, I began to notice my own sleep patterns (or lack thereof) and it rekindled my interest in the link between sleep and creativity. I am fascinated by the human brain's extra processing power during sleep or sleep-induced states. There is research suggesting that if woken up after REM sleep, humans have the ability to resolve problems in more creative and inspired ways. How much more can we humans extract from ourselves and our minds? Is "the beast" knocking on our door, or is it just the distress and relentless cacophony of our own minds racing away through the night?

This world premiere performance was recorded live at Wigmore Hall on 8 March 2021.

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