No such thing as an empty space (1991) · 3.5 min
for flute solo
flute
Written for Deborah Boldin
Program Note
John Cage, in his book Silence, wrote: “There is no such thing as empty space…There is always something to see, something to hear… Sounds occur, whether or intended or not.”
“… no such thing as an empty space” is a flute solo written for Deborah Boldin, who in summer 1991 was a fellow participant with Anthony Paul De Ritis in the American Conservatory in Fontainebleau, France. That was the first of two summers that De Ritis attended the Écoles D’Art Américaines. The composers in residence that summer were Philippe Manoury and Tristan Murail, both of whom made a very strong impact on the young composer. That summer was a life transforming experience for De Ritis.