Selenetrope (viola version)
Commmission by Jing Chen (2026) (8'30")
Program note:
"Selenetrope" focuses on fragile, unstable materials at the threshold of sound, and timbral shading
explored through bow nuance and harmonics. The piece was initially composed over three days during
the 2025 Darmstadt Summer Courses, in close collaboration with violinist Karl Jõrgi. It was later
expanded and adapted for viola at the request of violist Jing Chen, who attended the premiere. I want
to thank both Karl and Jing for their excellent collaboration, the request for the expanded piece, and
their sensitive playing, as well as workshop mentors Rebecca Saunders and Sarah Saviet for creating the
environment for this collaboration and guiding on detail and notation.
A “selenetrope” is a mythical plant that blooms under moonlight, presumably out of sight of observers.
-HAB
Performance History:
July 7, 2026 Jing Chen, viola; graduating recital, Folkwang University of the Arts; Essen, Germany
June 2026 (world premiere, viola version) Jing Chen, viola; Cologne, Germany
Instrumentation
- vla