Twin Souls is a collection of electroacoustic compositions by Barry Truax that incorporate texts which deal with various gender issues. Some, but not all, refer to same sex relationships; others leave the identity of the « other » to the listener’s interpretation. In all cases, I have gravitated toward lyric poetry that expresses the human desire for this other being, whether a « mirror image », an idealised partner, or a complementary « opposite ». In the first two works (Wings of Fire and Androgyne, Mon Amour), the instrument itself is personified as the lover to whom the poetry is addressed. Patterns and She, a Solo represents female characters experiencing crises in their lives and relationships. In the excerpts (In Memoriam A.H.H. and Hymn to the Moon) and arrangements (Twin Souls) from my opera Powers of Two, these relationships are dramatized on stage. In each piece, the disembodied electroacoustic element takes on the role of creating in your mind your own version of the « twin soul ».

1. Wings of Fire

2. Androgyne, Mon Amour

3. Patterns

4. She, a Solo

5. In Memoriam A.H.H.

6. Hymn to the Moon

7-8. Twin Souls