Refractions - Gibson Mahnke

Refractions

for String Orchestra

Gibson Mahnke (b. 2004)

Commissioned by the Boulder Philharmonic (Boulder, Colorado)

Program Notes

The Marrian-Webster dictionary defines “refraction” as: “deflection from a straight path undergone by a light ray or energy wave in passing obliquely from one medium (such as air) into another (such as glass) in which its velocity is different”. I believe that in life, we each go through our own refractions. As the world constantly changes, our lives are also changing. Whether it be moving to a new city or simply starting work an hour earlier, our lives are in a constant state of limbo. We are constantly being thrown onto a new course, just like light passing through glass. Although this constant change can sometimes be scary, it is also what makes life exciting and worth living. Refractions is about this constant change. Throughout the piece, the melodies are always being thrown into limbo as they are offset and layered. This state of constant change is what makes the piece exciting. Refractions invites you to embrace the constant variation in your own life and to recognize the beauty that comes with change.

- Gibson Mahnke, Los Angeles, CA (29 November 2022)

Duration: 3'

“You’re a refraction of the one light. You’re a waveform of light. You’re a fractal, a pattern that continuously changes.”

- Frederick Lenz