mykines

for sinfonietta

about

"In September 2022, I was contacted by the Faroese chamber ensemble Aldubáran who wanted to organise a portrait concert featuring the music I've written over the past few years. Moreover, they asked me to compose a new work for the full forces of the ensemble — a 13-piece sinfonietta.

I was deeply honoured and, of course, accepted the commission. I started to chip away at the monumental task of writing for such a diverse set of instruments. Months went by, and the progress I made was negligible. For whatever reason, I wasn't able to come up with any good, coherent ideas for the work.

As I continually attempted to write the piece, I had a recurring mental vision:

I am sailing to the island of Mykines in the thickest fog imaginable. I can't see anything except the water surrounding the boat. Suddenly, I can make out a silhouette in the distance. As it approaches, it grows larger and darker until it completely fills my field of vision, and Mykines emerges like a colossus from beneath the fog in all its majestic beauty.

No matter what I did, I wasn't able to shake this vision. Eventually, I realised I had no choice but to use it as the basis for my sinfonietta.

Mykines is one of the smaller islands in the Faroe Islands — one of the smallest countries in the world. However, when you see Mykines appear before you as it did in my vision, it's one of the most magnificent and awe-inspiring things you will ever see. Its monumental beauty crushes you under the insurmountable weight of knowing how small you truly are."

— Eli Tausen á Lava

acknowledgements

mykines was commissioned by Aldubáran and was premiered on 20 July 2023 at Hátún, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

composition year

2023

duration

16′ 30″

Instrumentation

Flute (doubling Piccolo)

Clarinet in B-flat

Alto Saxophone (doubling Soprano Saxophone)

Bassoon

French Horn

Trumpet 1 in B-flat

Trumpet 2 in B-flat

Guitar

Piano

Violin 1

Violin 2

Viola

Violoncello