Twilight of Our Minds, for large orchestra with electronics, is based on several paragraphs selected from roughly the first half of Albert Camus’ novel The Plague. The paragraphs were read by a narrator and recorded, and are used in their entirety in the electronic part. The rest of the piece is essentially constructed around these paragraphs. I have become increasingly interested in Camus’ allegorical novel recently due to the universality of the message (or messages) it attempts to convey. Indeed, its depiction of a community coming to terms with a threat beyond its control, struggling to deal with a growing sense of fear and isolation, has become strikingly relevant of late.

The electronic part is designed to be performed live by a single performer with a laptop on stage. The output of the laptop should be broadcast by a stereo pair of speakers, placed on either side of the orchestra. It is also possible for the electronics to be delivered through CD playback.

The Twilight of Our Minds was premiered by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra.

Performed by the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra