Vertical Garden (2001)

The title of this piece comes from the poem The Mummy by the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935).

My anxieties tumble
Down a flight of stairs.
My desires swing
In the middle of a vertical garden
The Mummy’s position is absolutely exact.
Music in the distance,
Far off in the distance,
So that life will pass
And gathering forget its gathering.

Translation © 1998 by Richard Zenith

Vertical Garden was written for flautist Alejandro Escuer. The time to composer this work was made available with the assistance of a Major Arts Grant from the Manitoba Arts Council, whose support is gratefully acknowledged.

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