Maya Beiser/Kate Valk - David Lang: The Day

Composed by David Lang, �the day� was commissioned in 2016 by cellist Maya Beiser as a �prequel� to world to come (2003), which Lang also wrote for Beiser in response to the tragic events of 9/11. Both pieces are meditations on life, but from very different perspectives. �the day looks at ways we review our lives,� Lang explains, �exploring remembered moments as a chronicle of a life.� Lang sourced the text from the internet by searching for the phrase �I remember the day that I...,� and then cut and compiled lyrics based on his findings. The spoken word accompaniment by actor Kate Valk lends an emotional charge to Beiser�s poignant cello lines, which gradually build in multi-tracked layers to emulate a small string ensemble.