Invisible Cities (2019), by Lila Wildy Quillin

Invisible Cities (2019)

by Lila Wildy Quillin

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1.	Introduction 02:36		buy track
2.	Isaura 03:22	info	buy track
3.	Octavia 01:49	info	buy track
4.	Baucis 04:14	info	buy track
5.	Fedora 04:40		buy track
6.	Eusapia 04:09	info	buy track

about

Recorded in New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall by NEC's Philharmonia Orchestra, under conductor Matt Szymanski.

Invisible Cities will be a nine-movement orchestral work inspired by Italo Calvino's novel of the same name. Presented here are the first five movements.

Calvino's Invisible Cities is a story in which the traveler Marco Polo recounts his exploration of various cities to the emperor Kublai Khan. The emperor is worried about the disintegration of his empire, so he has asked Marco Polo to explore the land and describe to him all of the cities he visits in hope of finding a way to save his empire. Calvino writes of 55 imaginary cities overall, collectively through which he says something about humanity and the way people work as a society. In addition to that, the cities themselves are also diverse and incredibly colorful. I decided to musically interpret the 7 cities I found most unique or inspirational, bookended by an Introduction and a Conclusion. The movements of the suite have different instrumentations to emphasize the different characters of the cities. A simple four-note theme represents the spirit of exploration, and is woven through all of the movements in some form.

The Introduction takes place in Kublai Khan's garden, during the discussion between Marco Polo and Kublai Khan.

Isaura describes a city built over an underground lake. It draws water from the deep underground and builds upwards.

Octavia is a city suspended between two cliffs by threads. The people of Octavia know that the threads will one day snap.

Baucis is a city that rises above the earth on stilts. There are theories that the citizens of Baucis respect the earth and enjoy gazing at it untouched by humans.

Fedora is a grey stone metropolis filled with tiny blue globes that contain alternate realities of Fedora. The people of Fedora are filled with desire and want to live in the models, not the real city.

credits

released December 14, 2015

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about

Lila Wildy Quillin Boston, Massachusetts

Lila Wildy Quillin (1999) is a contemporary composer currently studying at New England Conservatory. Her music is inspired by the world around her- from travel abroad, imaginary worlds, literature, and art.

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