Black Nightshade is a type of poisonous plant, but only during its initial phase of growth. Various cultures associate different meanings with it, often contradicting each other. It is consumed as food, medicine, and even featured in witchcraft rituals.
The first movement of the piece grows out of the sound of the piano, where the tension is created and maintained through the use of sharp dynamic contrast above a static background. Suggested or “wrong“ overtones are the harmonic basis of this movement and the movement itself can be characterized by spaciousness.
The second movement is the central part of the work. This movement aims to fuse all the instruments into one and eventually return them partially to their individual voices. The atmospheric timbre here is dictated by mandolin and its “metallic“ sound. The night serves as an abstract metaphor of the construction and development of the piece: thick, nontransparent matter, in which you have to squint your eyes in order to catch a glimpse of various surrounding objects.
The third and final movement is better described as a final sound rather than a movement. It is comparative to a shadow or a short spurt of air in that it is something almost tangible but remains unattainable, adhering to the piece‘s metaphorical use of “night“.
Ruta Paidere