This piece for chamber ensemble illustrates the melting of glaciers, one of the many effects of climate change. Sometimes the ice melts slowly, almost unnoticed. Other times, large chunks break off suddenly, crashing into the water. These two contrasting processes are reflected in the music through suggestive motifs that move from one instrument to another, creating a sense of movement and transformation, but also highlighting the inevitability of the process through their repetition.

The mournful melodies express the pain of a changing world. The music not only describes the melting ice, but invites us to reflect on the impact that climate change is having on our planet. It is a call to listen — both to the music and to the world around us.

For Music is a cycle of songs for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble that transforms Lord Byron’s poetry into an exploration of the presence and absence of music.

The lyrics of poet Heinrich Heine are explored in this work in a manner inspired by the romantic lied, emphasizing the inner tension of the poem Der Atlas.