Joan Tower’s “A New Day”
Notes by TŌN cellist Michael Zyzak
To find a composition that imparts such a personal and emotional connection is a rare (some would say unheard of) find these days. Joan Tower’s A New Day speaks so poignantly that upon listening you feel as if she’s written this story from the first-person, or directed a movie solely shot from her point of view. As a member of the audience, embracing this world of senses offers us a brief window into Tower’s mind as a composer, wife, and human being. Dedicated to the renowned cellist Alisa Weilerstein, this 2021 cello concerto was commissioned by the Colorado Music Festival, the Cleveland Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
A New Day tells the story of a difficult time in the composer’s life, one where her late, 95-year-old husband Jeff’s ailing health was constantly on her mind, inspiring her to pen this cello concerto in his honor. Tower has even mentioned that all of her composing following this was changed as a result, a testament to the raw integrity and honesty that we find in this piece. Although purposefully chosen for their ambiguity and ability to meld with each listener’s imagination, the titles for each movement are perfectly named markers for each day in Tower’s life, an ever-important reminder of the fragility, and therefore beauty, of the human spirit.
“Daybreak” opens the piece, signaling the beginning of another grateful day in the couple’s life. “Working Out”, I was delighted to find, is in fact a humorous reference to both physical exercise and how she and Jeff had navigated their 48-year-long relationship. The most introspective music is found in “Mostly Alone”, reflecting the necessity of remaining solitary during her composing process.
Tower often utilizes the instruments she writes for to their fullest abilities, and this cello concerto is a prime example throughout all its four movements. In the cadenza-like third chapter, though, we also get to hear the instrument’s likeness to the human voice on full display. The solo cello seemingly navigates the entirety of the instrument as well as the underlying complex emotions simultaneously. And finally, “Into The Night” highlights the anxiety that comes with the unknown. Because even though today was a gift, will Jeff still be alive tomorrow?