Nico Muhly (b. 1981)
Doublespeak (2012) ~ 10'

Born in Vermont, in 1999 Nico Muhly moved to New York to study English at Columbia and composition at Juilliard. It was in 2003, during his Masters, that he met Philip Glass, initially working as an archivist.

Doublespeak can be understood as an encapsulation of these two features of Muhly’s biography. Defined as deliberately euphemistic, ambiguous, or obscure language, the title reflects Muhly’s longstanding fascination for words and communication. More literally, Muhly’s music is deeply influenced by the minimalism pioneered by composers like Glass and Steve Reich. The piece therefore often revels in the textures created by very close repetition, with instruments shadowing each other. On a more personal note, the piece was written for the specialist new-music ensemble eighth blackbird to celebrate Glass’s 75th birthday. Indeed, it is dedicated to the older composer, and features a brief quotation from his iconic Music in Twelve Parts, a mammoth three-hour cycle. 

The principal foundation of Doublespeak consists of four long passages dominated by unrelenting soliloquies in, respectively, the violin, cello, piano, and cello. These are interspersed with calmer, more contemplative ensemble passages. Emotionally, the piece revels in the ambiguity prompted by its title: is the opening exuberant or feverish? Are the chorales tranquil, or mournful? Here, the upbeat optimism of early minimalism has been replaced by something more bittersweet.

​

Joshua Ballance