Stranger Love

Stranger Love follows two lovers whose romance unfolds to the rhythm of the seasons: in springtime, they meet; in summer, their love flourishes; autumn and winter, they face threats from without and within; a second spring brings resignation and the chance for renewal. Over time the frame broadens to offer an archetypal picture of human love, and ultimately, an astral envisioning of the divine, a love supreme. Stranger Love is inspired by the writings of Plato and Octavio Paz and is scored for a 28-piece orchestra (including three microtonal pianos). This work-in-progress concert of Act 1 unfolds across an expansive time-scale of over four hours, during which the audience is invited to leave and re-enter as desired. Stranger Love is a grand celebration of life itself, evoking the visceral thrill of a gospel revival, the ethereal calm of watching snow fall, the wonder of staring into the night sky.

Commissioned by Contemporaneous. This performance is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, and through the generous support of Beth Dawson.