The Journey Without Her

Susan Botti describes her musical style as “eclectic,” reflecting her experiences and abiding interest in theater and visual art. Professor of composition at the Manhattan School of Music, Botti will present three works during her residency in Staunton this August. She has received numerous awards and prestigious commissions from such ensembles as the New York Philharmonic and the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. One particular commission from the Blakemore Trio led to the creation of Gates of Silence, which premiered at Vanderbilt University in 2010.
Inspired by Virgil’s Aeneid, Gates of Silence contains three interconnected works scored for different instrument combinations. Botti’s haunting soprano voice appears in the third movement, Dido Refuses to Speak, whereas the second movement—The Journey without Her, heard tonight—is scored for a traditional piano trio. Aeneas, hero of Virgil’s tale and mythical founder of Rome, embarks on two perilous sea journeys: (1) fleeing the burning Troy, and (2) departing Carthage. The latter journey has inspired several powerful musical settings, from Botti back to Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas (programmed next Saturday night). As Botti notes, the “she” referenced in The Journey without Her is “city, country, home, a loved one. The Journey explores the momentum of escape: a whirlwind, a broken compass, calm within the storm giving clarity of purpose, strength, and direction—a new direction towards someplace, someone.”

(c) Jason Stell and Susan Botti