Paradiso1: Angels on Mars
for recorders, viola & electronics (1 performer)
2025
[10 minutes]
Commissioned by Inis Oírr Asano, first performance forthcoming.
Paradiso1 is the first in a set of solo pieces inspired by Dante’s Paradiso. It takes the scene from Canto XIV where Dante and Beatrice travel to Mars and witness a giant symbol of the cross formed by the amalgamated bodies of angels. This is weaved together with text from Marc Andreessen’s Techno-Optimist Manifesto and Elon Musk’s tweets to examine relationships between the contemporary world, Dante, symbolism, and the planet Mars.
The piece requires complex choreography to concurrently perform both recorder and viola. The electronics consist of live vocal FX, loop pedals, and fixed media samples, all operated by a MIDI foot-pedal.
Score and electronics available on request.