Works: Chaconne Canon Cancrizans (2007)
Were it in my nature, I would crab up a storm,
but in the time-honoured tradition of my species, I backed off.
After all, when we walk forwards, we move backwards.
It's in our genes, you know, turning round and round.
That reminds me - I've always wondered, "Which came first - the Crab, or the Gene?"
That is to say, "Which came last - the Gene, or the Crab?"
I'm always turning things round and round, you know. It's in our genes, after all.
When we walk backwards, we move forwards.
Ah me, oh my!
I must lope along my merry way - so off I go on such a fine day.
Sing "ho!" for the life of a Crab!
TATA!
¡Olé!
from Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas Hofstadter
In Chaconne Canon Cancrizans I have attempted to compose, simultaneously, the musical forms in the title. This is intended to reflect the spirit of Hofstadter's poem in particular and his excellent book in general.
Tim Benjamin, May 2007
Chaconne Canon Cancrizans was commissioned by The Trillium Quartet.
Further Information / Downloads
| Premiere: | 11th July 2008, National Portrait Gallery, London by Trillium |
| Duration: | 7 minutes |
| Instrumentation: | soprano saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba |
| Available files: |
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| Listen: | You must first get Flash to see and use the MP3 player.
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