There Will Come Soft Rains by Pamela Madsen is a six-movement oratorio that reflects upon “the 20th-century fascination for utopian salvation in California, the need for water and the meaning of rain” (Madsen, There Will Come Soft Rains). Inspired by the Mojave Desert, Madsen’s work involves intimate chamber music and sounds that collaborate with visual media and literary texts. The concert is performed by the Los Angeles Percussion Quartet, the Eclipse String Quartet, and pianist Vicki Ray, who create vivid landscapes through their performances.
Along with the ensemble, there were literary works spoken by Cory Hills, Vicki Ray and Maggie Parkins. These works trace “American literary figures across the 20th century hoping to find liberation from oppression that were quickly caught up in the rapidly changing world” (Madsen, There Will Come Soft Rains). Additionally, text and images of the Mojave Desert, made by Quintan Ana Wikswo, were projected on a screen behind the performers. …show more content…
For instance, in the fifth movement, “There Will Come Soft Rains: 2026,” the text describes how nature continues to live as the human race comes close to extinction. The song was performed by the percussion quartet and a speaker reading "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury. Because the song is mostly percussion instruments, aside from the spoken voice, it gives a sense of organic surroundings, representing nature. At times, the quartet used small toys, such as tin wind-ups or broken toy pianos, to give a sense of the dying man made machines. Similarly in other movements, the string quartet would shift from harsh rigid to weeping sounds to dramatic rushes. These sounds helped paint images resembling the dry desert, rivers, or
Along with the ensemble, there were literary works spoken by Cory Hills, Vicki Ray and Maggie Parkins. These works trace “American literary figures across the 20th century hoping to find liberation from oppression that were quickly caught up in the rapidly changing world” (Madsen, There Will Come Soft Rains). Additionally, text and images of the Mojave Desert, made by Quintan Ana Wikswo, were projected on a screen behind the performers. …show more content…
For instance, in the fifth movement, “There Will Come Soft Rains: 2026,” the text describes how nature continues to live as the human race comes close to extinction. The song was performed by the percussion quartet and a speaker reading "There Will Come Soft Rains" by Ray Bradbury. Because the song is mostly percussion instruments, aside from the spoken voice, it gives a sense of organic surroundings, representing nature. At times, the quartet used small toys, such as tin wind-ups or broken toy pianos, to give a sense of the dying man made machines. Similarly in other movements, the string quartet would shift from harsh rigid to weeping sounds to dramatic rushes. These sounds helped paint images resembling the dry desert, rivers, or