This piece is based on the ancient Greek myth of Icarus. The main story told about Icarus is his attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. He ignored instructions not to fly too close to the sun, and the melting wax caused him to fall to his death in the Aegean Sea. I was inspired by the reach for something dangerous and possibly fatal—I believe it’s always better to reach, even if there is great risk involved.

Premiered November, 1990 by Wes Husinga, oboe, and Sonja Thompson, piano, Minneapolis, MN