”Creature comforts” is an expression referring to those things that we make expressly to pamper our animal needs. These can be any number of things such as comfortable chairs, beds, clothes, etc, but also include less tangible items extending to foods, fragrances and so forth. Creature comforts are not necessary for survival, but we use them to alleviate the burdens of physical life, and sometimes to help us put our inner woes at a distance.
Creature Comforts is a ”text-driven” piece even though musical structure is the glue that holds the piece together. Text fragments or sequences are juxtaposed and superimposed to create pockets of associative meaning. Sections of sonic clarity and opacity alternate and, as the piece progresses, become more integrated. Likewise, contrasts between so-called “popular” and “serious” musical idioms comprise a sonic counterpoint to the texts.
A good dose of melancholy pervades Creature Comforts, sometimes tinged with humor or irony to alleviate an underlying seriousness.
Creature Comforts was produced with support from the National Endowment for the Arts (USA)