Iris (2000) by João Pedro Oliveira
for violin, clarinet, cello, piano, and electronics
US premiere; 2003 Earplay Donald Aird Composers Competition winner

Íris uses the same instrumentation as Messiaen’s Quatuor pour la Fin du Temps, plus tape. The inspiration for this piece is from the book of Revelation from the New Testament, and relates to the vision the prophet John had of the throne of God, with a rainbow (Íris in the original Greek language) around it, and the twenty-four elders worshipping. The piece is comprised of twenty-four sections that are not separated, but combine to form an organic whole. The harmonic structure of this work is based in Messiaen’s harmonies of the Quatuor.