Tybontoan
2019
For amplified large chamber ensemble
10 minutes
Tybontoan follows a character through their descent into a deep dream state. Unaware of how far they have fallen, they are pushed and pulled through a series of vivid scenes, unable to pull free. Tybontoan, a word that loosely translates to "dream" in the native Taíno language, is a work in an ongoing narrative reflecting on a character’s relationship with I’naru’ ("the spirit of women") and the resiliency of the female mind.
The solo vocalist represents the character’s experience, navigating through the narrative controlled by the conductor. The conductor acts as the force controlling the character’s progression through the dreamscape. The relationship between the vocalist’s character and the conductor propels the story forward. They share the recitation of a language, occasionally stripping this language away from one another.
The text incorporated in this piece stems from the native Taíno language of the Caribbean islands and the International Phonetic Alphabet (occasional vowel shapes).
This work was premiered by International Contemporary Ensemble on June 1, 2019 during the Los Angeles Philharmonic Noon to Midnight Festival in Los Angeles, California.
