Caroline Shaw : Evergreen

Description

Second project by composer Caroline Shaw recorded by the Attacca Quartet. The first, Orange, won a Grammy Award in 2020. About the piece presented on Evergreen "First Essay: Nimrod," Shaw says: "The piece began as a simple exercise in interpreting the melody and rhythm of one of my favorite authors, Marilynne Robinson. The title refers to the legendary biblical character Nimrod, who oversaw the construction of the Tower of Babel, a city designed to be tall enough to reach the sky, but which led to the confusion and dispersion of language. The piece starts with a gentle rhythm, just as if Robinson were speaking, but then surprises us as the familiar harmony unravels into repetitive and unexpected fragments." The Attacca Quartet consists of Amy Schroeder, Domenic Salerni, Nathan Schram, and Andrew Yee. The Attacca Quartet performs a program of Caroline Shaw's work at a free concert in Madison Square Park in New York this Wednesday, July 20, 2022, as part of the Carnegie Hall Citywide concert series.