Airs of Awe and Affection, was written during the first three months of my son, Elias’s life. I often wrote with him in my hands or sitting or laying nearby, contemplating the special bond between a father and a son, and the hopes and dreams that are present at the beginning of life. The first movement, “New Beginnings,” explores possibility, promise, and ambition, marching forward with a sense of quiet determination through a series of musical landscapes. The second movement, “Sacred Dreams Sarabande,” a lullaby-like Sarabande, meditates on gratitude, love, and a serene sense of sanctity with echoes of Beethoven’s Heiliger Dankgesang eines Genesenen an die Gottheit, in der Lydischen Tonart. The final movement, “Wide-Eyed Wonder,” explores a feeling of awe and appreciation for the beauty in the world that is beyond comprehension.
Airs of Awe and Affection was commissioned by Edward Gelman
