The Ten of Swords

open score for chamber ensemble, 2020

      The Ten of Swords is a card in the Minor Tarot. It depicts a prone man, ten swords buried in his back, a swath of red draped over his lower body (which could be interpreted as a robe, or his blood, or both). He faces away from the viewer, looking out over a dark lake, towards a distant sunrise.

Video

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Context

I like repetition. I like how much emotional content can come out of mechanical behaviors. This piece is about determining your own machine, and seeing it through to its end, while simultaneously attempting to embody something determinedly non-mechanical.

I like trying to boil my life down into smaller concepts. The Ten of Swords is about trying to maintain continuity in your life while dealing with outside stress.