“Breathing is deeply and intimately connected to, and reflective of, our state of mind, feelings, mood, and sense of well-being.”

–Havi Carel, Phenomenology of Illness (Oxford Scholarship Online, September 2016) 108–109.

Mirrors uses the rhythm of breath to trace a history. This history embraces the embodied experience of pianist Simone Keller and that of the piano(s) she plays. Taking as a foundation the pacing of inhales and exhales, repeating tremolos shift at the peaks and troughs of these circular biorhythms. As the piece progresses, the material pushes and pulls at the length of these breaths, erasing the boundary between following and leading.

To prepare the tape part, Keller recorded herself playing three times, each on a different piano. The instruments she chose bear their own histories and unique character, well-captured by Philip Bartels in the recording process.

In performance, Keller plays the score again with these layered recordings echoing back from inside the piano. She synchronizes her past and present biorhythms by aligning her breath. These collected impressions tell a corporeal history of musical bodies in relationship.