Maji

Capturing the fluidity, sparkle and winding path of water

Commissioned by Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra & Saint Paul Central High School / Joseph Schlefke & Matthew Oyen

"Maji" takes its name and inspiration from the Swahili word for water; its Arabic root "ma" means not only "water," but also "luster or splendor," often in reference to a diamond.

True to its etymological root, "Maji" opens with sparkle, but — mirroring its fluid namesake — this bright beginning soon takes a more winding path, creating an ever-changing flow of shimmering movement.

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Composer's Note:

maji \mah'-jee\ n. [Swahili] water

This word captured my imagination at once: there, in two short syllables, was a word which held both the beauty of water, and the suggestion that it is as precious as a jewel.

In my orchestral portrayal of this magical living substance, each musical idea flows into the next naturally but unpredictably: picture a small creek in which water gurgles and bubbles, creates swirling eddies, shimmers from within its still surface, widens into a slow deep pool, and then suddenly rushes into a narrow channel. This image of flowing, continuous movement is Maji's guiding principle; indeed, whenever musical themes make reappearances — just as in Heraclitus' ever-changing river — they are never the same twice.

Performers:

Minnesota Philharmonic Orchestra - Joseph Schlefke, conductor (Saint Paul, MN)
* Joint Premiere