Variations on a Delirious Afternoon

Variations on a Delirious Afternoon was commissioned by the Haftcraft ensemble for clarinet, bassoon and contrabassoon. Its two principal themes come from the opening of Scriabin’s Poème de l’Extase - the “delirious” element - and the flute solo of Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune - the “afternoon.” The themes become one another’s countersubjects within a flexible polyphonic texture. Performances planned during the pandemic were cancelled, so the ensemble instead created a short film that expands the music’s delirious character through a visual story.