Thorvaldsdóttir: Ubique

“Ubique” inhabits the boundary between enigmatic poetry and atmospheric distortion. Through a combination of sounds, pitches, and structural nuances, deep, muffled drones envelop lyrical materials and harmonies that gradually come into focus over the course of the piece, only to recede again. The flow of the music is guided primarily by continuous expansion and contraction—of varying kinds and durations—as it moves with subtle interruptions and friction, yet always presses forward in its overall structure. The work is inspired by the idea of being everywhere at once, an all-encompassing omnipresence, while simultaneously focusing on details within the density of each particle. This is reflected in various forms of fragmentation and interruption, and in the sustain of certain elements of a sound beyond their natural resonance—throughout the piece, sounds are both reduced to their smallest particles and their atmospheric presence extended infinitely. “Ubique” lasts 45 minutes and consists of 11 parts. It is composed for flutes, grand piano, two cellos, and pre-recorded electronics. Anna Thorvaldsdottir is an Icelandic composer who has already received numerous international awards. For example, she was the New York Philharmonic’s Kravis Emerging Composer and received the 2021 Ivors Composer Award for Large Scale Composition for her work “Catamorphosis”.