Alia-The-Strange (Theremin/Cello/Clarinet & Keyboard Ensemble)

In reading Frank Herbert’s seminal novel Dune, I found my imagination fired on multiple levels by the world, and the happenings, that occur on Arrakis. In particular, I found myself rather intrigued by the character Alia-The-Strange, the daughter of Leto and Jessica Atreides who only shows up in the last third of the entire novel. A child character affected by the supernatural, she is one of the book’s stranger elements, and yet I found myself drawn to her. This piece is thus an exploration of her character: it begins with a repurposed Gregorian chant that is slowly transformed over a cloud of vibraphones and marimbas gently coasting under the Theremin. This is meant to be a reflection of the mysterious, somewhat holy side of her character. It builds to a climax, before moving into a somewhat faster, more playful section, this one reflecting Alia’s child-like side. At the climax of this section, there is a brief return to the more contemplative character of the opening, before the sound simply fades away to nothing.