Deus Ex Machina

In some ancient Greek drama, an apparently insoluble crisis was solved by the intervention of a god, often brought on stage by an elaborate piece of equipment. The god was lowered by stage machinery to resolve a plot or extricate the protagonist from a difficult situation. This “god from the machine” was literally a deus ex machina.

On April 17, 2005 a serious car accident left me unconscious and in the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma unit. Having sustained a severe concussion and fractured pelvis, my recovery has been protracted. Throughout the pain and challenge of recuperation my “divine interference” was music. Almost a year has passed and this piece, created in concurrence with my rehabilitation, symbolizes my “Deus ex Machina.” A programmatic work, it represents the accident, trauma, pain, and my eventual recovery.

Deus ex Machina is dedicated to the men and women of the University of Maryland’s Shock Trauma.