Clara Iannotta

They left us grief-trees wailing at the wall

Clara Iannotta's They left us grief-trees wailing at the wall is a 16-minute work for nine amplified instruments (Bb-Cl, TenSax, Perc, Pf, E-Gtr, Vln, Vla, Vlc, CB). The composition is dominated by seemingly static bands of sound which, on closer inspection, appear full of life and variety. Like paint brushed in stripes across different surfaces, each band reveals a different texture - from the relatively clear sounds of wine glasses or bowed vibraphone to the jagged sounds of bent cardboard or laminated paper vibrating against a saxophone bell. They left us grief-trees wailing at the wall was premiered by the Riot Ensemble at Wien Modern on 13 November 2020. The full score (EP 14551) is available for sale as part of the Peters Contemporary Library. The performance material can be hired.