Brood X
(2004) electro–acoustic music
“Brood X” (Roman numeral ten) is the name biologists have given to the world's largest simultaneously emerging population of Magicicada, the 17–year periodical cicada, which appeared in the Washington, DC area in May of 2004. I had a very strong memory of the remarkable sound of these creatures from 1987 when I first witnessed their emergence from the earth in this amazing cycle. I made field recordings of the male choruses of cicadas in various wooded areas near my home during the month of May 2004, and these recordings are the sole sound source for my brief essay on transience. The Japanese haiku poets speak of “shrilling like a hissing fire,” (Saren) and remind us “how quickly the hush will come” (Basho).
This reminder of the precious nature of life became particularly poignant for me in early September of 2004 when those of us in the Washington/Baltimore music community were shocked to learn of the sudden death of Anthony Stark (1944-2004). Tony was a fellow composer with a generous heart and great passion for the art of music. He was my colleague of 14 years in the Contemporary Music Forum, and my friend. Brood X is dedicated to his memory.
—Robert Gibson
Duration: ca. 3:00