Eric Moe - Dead Cat Bounce (excerpt)

counterinduction

This is an excerpt of ‘Dead Cat Bounce’ recorded at a live performance of counter)induction at the University of Pennsylvania.

Program note:

A “dead cat bounce” is an expression used in financial circles to describe a brief and temporary uptick in the price of a stock following a spectacular decline in its value. (The decline continues after the bounce). The etymology of the phrase is that “even a dead cat will bounce if dropped from a great enough height”. The term was heard a lot in the fall of 2008. Dead cat bounces are clear only in hindsight: no one knows at the time whether the market has bottomed out and a recovery is in progress or whether it is doomed to fall still further. In a similar way – though fortunately no one’s shirt is at stake – the musical argument of this piece is designed to keep the listener in some suspense about what will happen next. Additionally, the title evokes a number of bebop tunes; Charlie Parker’s “Billie’s Bounce” perhaps the best known. Dead Cat Bounce was commissioned by counter)induction. It was a great pleasure and privilege to write for this superb ensemble. The work is dedicated, with affection, to Mario Davidovsky.