Leilehua Lanzilotti

to speak in a forgotten language — for solo violin (2022)

Commissioned by Rachel Lee Priday with the generous support of the Creative Fellowships Initiative at the University of Washington. The work is currently under exclusivity through October 2025. duration 5’ (flexible)

to speak in a forgotten language was commissioned as part of a collaborative project between violinist Rachel Lee Priday and Dr. Georgy Manucharyan, a climate scientist exploring the interplay between musical motion and fluid dynamics as a part of bringing attention to turbulent currents in our oceans and their relation to climate change.

Lanzilotti (who insisted on reading as much of Georgy’s research as possible in preparation) was watching a video of a convection experiment, and ‘was inspired by a moment when a woman’s face seemed to emerge to her’ through the twirling currents of the water. . . . [Lanzilotti] uses sparse notation and extended unusual techniques to explore overtones, over-pressured bowing, white noise, and whispers. This level of indeterminacy in the score allows for the performance time to vary by several minutes – this is not, in other words, an attempt to match the film second-by-second, but rather allows for freedom in the way the two interlock, presenting further opportunities for expanding and reshaping the work in a pure concert rendition. — Katy Hamilton, liner notes for Fluid Dynamics (Orchid Classics, 2024)

The title is taken from the poem “Witness” by M. S. Merwin, originally published in his book The Rain in the Trees. Merwin’s dedication to the environment through his activism and acts of preservation was as important as his legacy as a brilliant poet.

Upcoming Performances

Friday, November 1, 2024 — Rachel Lee Priday Fluid Dynamics Album Release Show: Live Multimedia featuring my works to speak in a forgotten language and koʻu inoa, as well as works by Paul Wiancko, Gabriella Smith, and Timo Andres among others. Chatter: Late Works, Albuquerque, NM

Past Performances

Tuesday, October 8, 2024 — Rachel Lee Priday Fluid Dynamics Album Release Show: Live Multimedia World premiere featuring my works to speak in a forgotten language and koʻu inoa, as well as works by Paul Wiancko, Gabriella Smith, and Timo Andres among others. Meany Center for the Performing Arts, Seattle, WA