Fire in the Firmament

"Fire in the Firmament" is a work for string quartet that explores the chants and visual arts* of Hildegard von Bingen. The piece begins with harmonics and the melodic contour of Hildegard’s "Favus distillans". These floating harmonics illustrate a popular motif in Hildegard’s artwork: herself as an observer in the corner. As the “A” section progresses, the chant theme enters a fugue, creating a circular feeling to depict Hildegard’s use of circular motifs in her miniatures. Halfway through the fugue, dissonant notes appear in the violins to portray the beginning of the bizarre visions that affected Hildegard throughout her life. Directly after this dissonance occurs, the first appearance of "Musica universalis" begins. The use of Music of the Spheres (specifically of the Earth and the sun) represents the common cosmic theme of her art. After the fugue closes, the piece enters a more atonal “B” section. Here, the whole-tone runs depict the fantastic visions that Hildegard witnessed. This contrasts greatly with the "Dies Irae" chant underneath. Such a contrast shows the hardships of being an influential nun during the medieval period, but it also portrays the differences in the vibrant colors used in her works. As the "Dies Irae" continues and the whole tones fade out, the work moves into chant structures from the twelfth century. Here, both "Favus distillans" and "Dies Irae" are heard in fifths. The use of perfect intervals with differing chants/modes illustrates the combination of Hildegard’s traditional chant writing and extraordinary visions, writing, art, and religious position. Once the “B” section is fully explored in its atonality/polymodality, the music picks up the energy as it races toward the return of the “A” fugal theme. As the fugue progresses once again, the harmonics continue for its entirety. Finally, the piece dissolves into one last minor chord.