This cello solo is the final piece in my series of five solo compositions, all inspired by a poem. Bas van Putten writes, "Ig Henneman has discovered a third way, a fusion of the finesse of the Lied with the directness of a jam session. Her 'Solo Songs' for bassoon, bass clarinet, violin, viola, and cello follow a semi-improvised path toward the song, starting from an instrument. The musician plays, and keeps playing, until a tipping point is reached where the text appears as an answer to questions the notes ask while they reach, search, dance, growl, and whine. At this point, full of climactic musical energy, the musician begins to sing, driven by an urgency too strong to hold the voice back: it must speak out. This is the turning point. The words of Ingeborg Bachmann, Anneke Brassinga, Emily Dickinson, Sarah Lawson, and Nanao Sakaki provide first aid in a magical ambiguity."

Video: Sergio Gridelli
Music Recording and Mixing: Micha de Kanter