thanatopsis: for the victims of paris, november 13

thanatopsis: for the victims of paris, november 13 was written shortly after the November 13, 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris at the Bataclan Theater. Terrorists in the Bataclan shot numerous people attending a concert, attacking the sanctity of life in art, which is meant to be entertainment and healing for people. This attack hurt me badly. I then wrote this piece to reflect upon my feelings at the time, where art, joy, and healing were attacked, as a meditation on death; this is the meaning of the word "thanatopsis." While the string quartet plays, indistinguishable human voices enter and become part of a massively dense texture throughout.