man dies eroica eroica

man dies eroica eroica was written in March of 2020 for Daniel Gaisford. It was originally scheduled to be workshopped in Baltimore on May 7, but was recored remotely by Gaisford later that month. Taylor Boykins recorded the vocals.

Program Note

Jean-Michel Basquiat completed Eroica I in 1988. He died later that year. The tempo guisto is this invisible inevitability. The music is nevertheless indiscriminately sad and anxious in the face of it.

The “talon” symbol— a rhythmic motive in the Eroica paintings— comes from the Symbol Sourcebook by Henry Dreyfuss. There it is labeled simply “man dies.” It is said to have derived from the lexicon of hobo symbols, in this case alerting others to some cruelty or other danger on the path ahead.

The following are my markings denoting the same.