Bob Becker’s chamber work “Clear Things May Not Be Seen,” with text by American author Conrad Aiken, is a monumental statement that merits multiple listenings. The piece features two vocal soloists accompanied by what could almost be termed a miniature chamber orchestra, and it bears occasional similarity to two giants of the Italian 20th Century, Berio and Donatoni (without their notational quirks). At 15 minutes in length, “Clear Things May Not Be Seen” patiently goes about the business of sculpting a towering impression of Aiken’s text, which itself is filled with large spaces and searches within them.

The two keyboard percussion parts are more keyboard than percussion, and are often treated in the same way as the strings and winds; however, at times their percussive articulation is the only thread that pulls them above the rest of the ensemble’s swirling vortex of motion. The episodic nature of the work becomes evident only gradually at first, tugging at the imagination in the background before eventually breaking through as the structure asserts itself in a deliberately paced descent into its final placid statements of serenity.

Although not technically a work that puts the percussion at the forefront of the ensemble, it nonetheless requires ample preparation by the percussionists; there are many virtuosic extended passages and exposed material to be brought forth, and the ensemble will likely find itself relying on the strength of its percussionists the same way a choir depends upon its pianist. I would gladly recommend this composition to any professional or university contemporary ensemble seeking a substantial, and substantially rewarding, project.
-Brian Graiser, Percussive Notes April 2025