Blue Lake

Clarinet, Accordion, and String Trio

Programme Note

In Northern Russia, and many other places around the world, there are the most fantastical blue lakes. The brilliance of the colour of these lakes is down to high levels of acidity. In the case of the Russian lake that inspired me, the cause of this acidity is unknown; as is the depth of the lake, and many of the cave systems that lie below the surface of the water remain unexplored. When submerged, there is no light and this beautiful lake becomes a maze of uncertainty. The colour is hidden, as are the objects (inanimate and living alike) that reside in the water. Divers still regularly take the risks and try conquering the blue lake, to varying levels of success, and the lake still remains an unsolved mystery.

Blue Lake was premiered by the CHROMA ensemble on 30/1/14 in the DJRH at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

Liam Mattison (London, Jan 2014)