To take the edge off

"To Take the Edge Off" attempts to convey a feeling of transience in harmony, texture, and form. The harmonic language of the piece favors octatonic and hexatonic collections, whose symmetrical structures avoid harmonic "edges," and support the shimmering, mercurial textures that are present throughout. The idiom to take the edge off describes the temporary alleviation of something uncomfortable, be it hunger, cold, or physical or emotional pain. As I wrote the piece, I thought of this concept, and of the futility of trying to find short answers to complex problems: an easy fix will usually only serve to obscure the truth, and not to grapple with it.

I view the piece as a series of episodes, or variations on a couple essential musical ingredients: a twelve-tone row, a minor third embedded in that twelve-tone row, and the uncomfortable coexistence of octatonicism, hexatonicism, and the implications of triadic harmony. As it wanders through this hazy harmonic landscape, the music struggles to find a sense of where it is, or where it truly wants to be.

To Take the Edge Off was read by the Oberlin Orchestra on November 1st, 2024.