Nocturne, for ‘Cello and Piano (2013)

Alan Weinstein, ‘cello; Elizabeth Bachelder, piano. Audio excerpts & sheet music are here.

        The creatures that inspire these sounds are uniformly nocturnal and largely unnoticed by the general public.  They are nonetheless in decline owing, in whole or part, to human influences.  This relatively unseen world harbors many mysteries, fascinations and beauties, and its health has everything to do with the health of the daytime world we inhabit.  

Pipistrelle  Any of a number of small bats in the genus Pipistrellus, the name derived from pipistrello, Italian for "bat.”  The Eastern Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus subflavus) is capable of catching an insect every 2 seconds and increasing its body mass by as much as 25% in half an hour.  A fast, zigzag melody in the ‘cello suggests the bat’s erratic flight pattern and quick 2-note leaping motives passed from ‘cello to piano suggest the echolocation used to detect insects on the wing.  A lyrical melody against a lush wash of harmonies evokes the serenity of a warm summer night, murmuring with the gentle songs of cicadas, crickets and tree frogs.

Nightjar  Any of a number of swift, medium sized, night flying, insect-eating birds of the family Caprimulgidae, including the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor), sometimes seen patrolling swiftly in the evening at lighted areas in pursuit of insects caught on the wing.  Their numbers are in decline, plagued by habitat loss and extreme exposure to pesticides in Latin America.  The habit of these cryptically patterned birds of nesting on bare ground makes them vulnerable to opportunistic predators.  Recent estimates of the number of all birds killed by feral cats and outdoor domestic cats range as high as 3.5 billion per year.  Cats allowed outdoors should be fitted with a bell to warn birds of their approach.  The calls of the Whip--poor-will and Chuck-will’s-widow—iconic evening sounds—are woven into the melodic material; the wide arc of melody reflects their strong, swooping flight.

Hellbender  Cryptobranchus alleganiensis is a giant salamander of the family Cryptobranchidae, living fossils little changed in the last 160 million years.  It can grow to 29 inches—the largest amphibian in the Western Hemisphere.  A habitat specialist requiring very specific shallow, fast-moving water conditions, the hellbender originally ranged from New York to Arkansas.  It is now in decline across its range and listed as near threatened. Habitat loss, water degradation and collection for the pet trade are significant factors in its decline.  The mostly quiet, rising & falling propulsive rhythms suggest an unseen life in rushing water, punctuated by occasional struggles with prey or evading its own predators.  The brief, violent concluding section could be heard as a moment of truth for this species – perhaps another mining operation polluting a suitable stream with silt.