1. Dance
2. Prayer
3. Fantasy on a Traditional Theme
Searching for Sophia was originally a piano trio. I received a request to transcribe it for oboe quintet and then later, for clarinet quintet. In addition, there are versions for oboe quartet and clarinet quartet (oboe or clarinet and string trio). The revised clarinet quartet has an enhanced clarinet part to take advantage of the increased range of the instrument.
The “Sophia” legend is very ancient, and, like all legends, there are many versions. She seemed to be a very important part of the Gnostic movement. She also evolved with many names and faces depending on the time and the religion, but she always was connected to wisdom and was female. In some versions she seemed to be the equivalent of God and in some she was the actual creator of God. The Song of Solomon, or Wisdom of Solomon, is often considered to be a description of Sophia. Then around the fourth and fifth centuries, the female figure was purged from the orthodox Christian tradition and replaced by the “Son.” Perhaps the cult of Mary grew to replace the concept of Sophia.
While it is impossible for me to give the definitive story of Sophia as there is so much mystery surrounding her, I did develop my own general impression as an inspiration.
In the first movement, “Dance,” I tried to achieve a sense of birth and awakening growing into a celebration of life through song and dance. The music is loosely based on rhythms and tunes I heard in my childhood when I visited my grandmother’s home. Several of her daughters played the piano, and while they improvised on these tunes, we would dance a sort of hora around the living room.
The second movement, “Prayer,” (the third movement in the Piano Trio version) is dirge-like, depicting the prison of tradition that weighs heavily on women. The accompanying poem, “Prayer,” describes what I was trying to say in this movement. The original version has a prolonged violin solo, but the clarinet quartet gives the solo to the clarinet.
The third movement, “Fantasy on a Traditional Theme,” is based on a song my mother learned from her mother and then sang to me and I sang to my children. The movement begins with harsh dissonant chords from the strings depicting the patriarchy that would subjugate Sophia, but the melody, first introduced by the oboe, shines through. There’s the constant back and forth between the theme and the chords, a sermon-like recitative, struggle, and finally the joy of Sophia emerging triumphant in the end.
