Al Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks premiered by Houston Symphony

March 14th, 15th and 16th saw the premiere of Al Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks by the Houston Symphony under director Juraj Valčuha, as part of the orchestras “Fairy Tale Festival.” A preview article about the work appears in the Houston Chronicle and a review at EarReleavant.



Ismail al-Jazari was a 12th century Islamic polymath: a scholar, inventor, engineer, artist and mathematician. He was born in 1136 in Upper Mesopotamia and served as the chief engineer for the  Artuqid dynasty at the Artuklu Palace (located in modern-day Turkey). His remarkable treatise, The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical   Devices (1206) describes fifty machines al-Jazari crafted to perform various tasks. Coupled with his own colorful illustrations, the book evokes a fairy-tale world of automated devices: a dancing water fountain, a band of mechanical musicians, a hydraulic “perpetual flute,” a self-cleaning washbasin, and a mechanized “butler” who prepares drinks. But all of the devices were fully operational (and have been re-created in modern times). In his pioneering work we encounter for the first time many of the foundational mechanisms of engineering: the crankshaft, segmental gears, escapement mechanisms, conical valves, advanced pulley rigs, and various mechanical systems of bolts and locks. Known as the “father of robotics” for his revolutionary work in automation, al-Jazari’s devices are fascinating both functionally and aesthetically.

But perhaps his most beautiful and captivating designs are his many mechanical clocks. These include elaborate candle clocks (triggered by melting wax), an astronomical “castle clock,” (including a Zodiac dial), programmable clock of mechanical drummers (who beat out the hours!), a portable “scribe clock” and a giant “elephant clock” (left). These enchanting time machines are captivating to envision, but they are built with technology and a prescience that anticipates our automated
modern world.

Al-Jazari’s Ingenious Clocks is an evocative time piece, a journey to a vivid world of invention and imagination. It is organized as a sequence of three scenes (played without pause) that mingle together imagery inspired by medieval inventor Ismail Al-Jazari’s (1136–1206) magnificent clocks: the elements that drive them (fire, water, air); the kinetic forces they manifest (rhythm, momentum, acceleration); and the embodiment of the world seen in their visual design (animals, people, music). The candle clock tells a wafting time. Seconds, minutes, hours drift by, coiling from the candle’s wick in thin tendrils of smoke as the flame draws ever higher. As the hour approaches, the wax melts, its trail dripping a memory of time passed. The hands of the musical clock are the hands of drummers, who play a rhythmic dance. Together they try to beat time, but time will not succumb! Time can be kept but not saved, its passing marked with increasing intensity, building to an ecstatic climax. The elephant clock advances slowly, with a steady and gentle time that never forgets—but neither does it tarry. It moves forward, inexorably, irresistibly. And we all travel on its back, in a long caravan of time, each tolling bell a milestone on our journey to the future.

Edmonton Opera Residency in Dawson City, Yukon

In February Edmonton Opera continued its collaborative partnership with the Yukan Arts Centre to sponsor a week-long residency/workshop in the Yukon. The February 16th-23rd residency, hosted by the Klondike Institute of Art and Culture, supported singers Elizabeth Polese, Rachael McAuley, and Connor Hoppenbrouwers, along with pianist Spencer Kryzanowski and me in a series of rehearsals, community outreach and performances in the beautiful and historic gold rush town of Dawson City.

Performance activities included an “Opera Pub” at the Westminster Hotel and Tavern. AKA The Pit to an appreciative audience of opera lovers and soon-to-be opera lovers. The pub performance concluded with my Yukon piano debut, with Elizabeth Polese in A Song I Wish I’d Written.

A concert performance at the KIAC Ballroom at Dënäkär Zhoin included several pieces: a new aria, You and I from an in-progress opera project (The Book of Tales), the premiere of a new song on Amy Lowell’s poem Carrefour, and Your Letter Pleased Me Greatly –all performed by Polese and pianist Spencer Kryzanowsi. Mezzo-soprano Rachael McAuley performed with Kryzanowski Two Songs on texts of Reg Huston.

Also presented in Dawson City were two of my comic 3-voice catches: Kraft Kanon on the ingredients in Kraft Dinner™ (for Americans: Mac & Cheese!); and the world premiere of Changing of the Guard written especially for the occasion:

By all accounts it’s true: you can’t buy happiness with dough. But buy me a drink just in case!

• When combined: Justin Trudeau: Bye bye!

Balourdet Quartet performs Strange Machines at Chamber Music America Conference

Chamber Music America’s National Conference was held for the first time outside of New York City on February 13-16th in Houston, Texas. The Balourdet Quartet performed Strange Machines as part of the conference’s final concert on February 15th, a gala celebration of the Fischoff Chamber Music Competition. (Balourdet was awarded the gold medal in that competition in 2020). The commission of Strange Machines was made possible by a 2021 CMA Classical Music Commissioning Grant.

Other participants and awardees at the conference included Apollo Chamber Players and ROCO, who appeared with composer Wang Jie and me on a panel entitled “Activating Audiences through Commissioned Work,” hosted by Fred Child.