Sometime in 2018 I began thinking about the nature of isolation and how it can be possible in a city of nearly 9 million people. Interiors is intended as a somewhat voyeuristic look at isolation. Scored for a flexible ensemble of 4 to 8 performers (perhaps more), it is intended to be performed in an abandoned apartment building, or other large structure with multiple rooms, with each performer occupying their own space. Each part is performed independently of the others, and the performers may stop and start their part as they please, opting to fill time by performing non-musical acts (sleeping, cooking dinner, gazing out the window, etc.). Loudspeakers are positioned through out the common areas of the building, amplifying the ambient sounds of the structure. Visitors may walk around the building at will, observing the actions of each of the performers. The piece can continue indefinitely, but should last a minimum of five hours.
The excerpt below is a “concert arrangement” of the flute part made for Margaret Lancaster. It was premiered on May 31, 2019 in the crypt of the Church of the Intercession in Manhattan as part of her program “Lady M.” The electronic part was sourced from ambient sounds in my apartment in Jackson Heights, Queens.