Description:
Micrographia comprises six movements, each of which illustrates a phenomenon observed through the microscope and documented in Robert Hooke’s 1665 treatise of the same name. Hooke’s observations are accompanied by beautiful drawings. The conclusions he draws from what he sees are frequently inaccurate and sometimes fantastical. The text therefore communicates a wonderful, naïve exuberance inspired by the experience of seeing tiny things for the very first time.
The first five movements deal with magnified images of the following phenomena: the point of a needle, grains of salt, urine, blue mould, and the wing of a fly. The final movement deals with Hooke’s observations of stars through a telescope, which, bizarrely can be found in the same book. The final movement therefore illustrates a sudden change in scale and direction, although in relation to the human eye, the phenomena presented is just as small and mysterious.
Full Scoring:
Two Sopranos
Viola
Flute doubling Piccolo and Alto Flute
Percussion [Vibraphone and Glockenspiel]
Harp
Piano
Electric Guitar
To enquire about hiring the score and parts for Micrographia, please complete the form below.
Laurence Osborn
Composer
View Composer →