Mikel Kuehn - Works
Devouring Time (2010/14), for solo marimba:
Devouring Time (2010/14), for solo marimba, derives it name from the opening of Shakespeare’s Sonnet 19: “Devouring Time, blunt thou the lion's paws...” The work is dedicated to Elliot Carter on the occasion of his 100th birthday (though a little belated) and explores the possibilities of combining Carter's favorite harmonic material with the layering of different speeds and tempi (a trait also characteristic of his music). The piece is cast in seven large sections, the middle being the most delicate and serving as a secret meadow amidst a dense forest. Each of the six outer sections feature a repeating background pitch consistently occurring at an extremely slow tempo.