Nico
Muhly,

Radiant Music was written for Alice K. Dade at her request for a short recital piece. The tape part is made up of several episodes of shimmering music for electric flutes, dulcimers, organs, baroque strings, trumpet, and choir. This piece is focused on a simple progression of three chords; this progression appears in the sequence that opens the piece. This sequence reappears in each episode as a harmonic goal for the flute, whose part circumnavigates it but never hits it exactly. Also at play in Radiant Music is a notion of fast music that moves slowly versus slow music that moves quickly. This is most evident in the “Throbbing” music which is very fast, but has an immensely slow harmonic motion, and in the conclusion, which is made of one chord reworked over a long stretch of time. Radiant Music is dedicated to Alice K. Dade.

Performance Notes
Radiant Music requires a pair of stereo speakers, placed as far apart on the stage as possible. The tape requires manipulation twice during the piece: at the start and conclusion of the cadenza. If possible, an assistant should execute this pausing and recommencing, but if necessary, the performer can control the tape from the stage.