Written by Evgeniya “Jane” Kozhevnikova in 2023 for the Blackbox Ensemble, “Remember Me Then” is a piece for mezzo-soprano, flute, bass clarinet, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and glockenspiel. The piece was premiered by the Blackbox in November 2023 at the Harn Museum, Gainesville, FL.
The text was written by the composer after the poem “Touch” by Henri Cole (b. 1956), using the cut-up technique (the whole text was cut up and selected words were rearranged to create a new text). In “Touch,” Cole juxtaposes the imaginary of a dead person to the life continuing around them. While the text of “Remember Me Then” is also based on the duality of life and death, it is way more subtle. The music was inspired by the artwork “Touch” by Kiki Smith (b. 1954), which is also based on the poem by Cole.
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“Remember Me Then”
by Jane Kozhevnikova
In the bubbling water,
in the sea of loneliness,
in the bright lights of a yellow star,
in the long black night,
in the pink daybreak,
in the dry soil
at the top of the rock,
Remember the song we sang
over and over,
Remember that fine
and simple sound,
Remember me
Then.