FOOTBALL IN MARJA (2011)
For Piano Solo
Duration ca. 13:30
PROGRAM NOTES
In three sections:
From 2009-11, the United States began a “troop surge” in Afghanistan, increasing the number of service members abroad in an effort to end what was already a costly and frustrating war. By the time the surge officially ended in 2011, over 140,000 service members occupied Afghanistan, and the bloodshed had increased proportionally. Yet there was still no end in sight. Marja — a small city in Southern Afghanistan — was one of the many hotspots of violence throughout these years.
Football in Marja attempts to imagine the troop surge and its consequences through the eyes of a child. “Football,” in this instance, refers (of course) to soccer. The piece is in turns frenetic, militaristic, and elegiac.
Commisisoned and premiered by Barış Büyükyıldırım. Premiered at Miller Recital Hall, New York, NY (April 2011)
SCORE PREVIEW
