Adagio (For Wadada Leo Smith) (2022)

The story told in the course of “Adagio” is, irrespective of its compositional intent, the tale of a mournful melodic line that struggles to break free of the harmonic despair that surrounds it. The piece reaches ever higher toward a distant realm of joy and light only to be pulled mercilessly back to earth by a dense fog of orchestral accompaniment. Sorey has affected the narration of a tragic tale of hopes and happiness cruelly and majestically destroyed — the symphonic equivalent of a Tennessee Williams play and a true wonder to behold.