Last Summer by American composer Michael Torke (b. 1961) is a reflection on the passage of time. Its quietly noble descending bass line is set in sixths, a rich interval Brahms used in his most nostalgic works. (For example, listen to the opening of the autumnal Intermezzo in A Major, Op. 118).
This excerpt is part of a collection of twelve meditative pieces for violin and string orchestra, composed in 2025, simply titled Last. Each of the titles evokes the passage of time. They can be performed separately, or as a whole. (Previously, we have explored Last Month, Last Fall, and Last Year). Torke comments that they “are almost like second movements of violin concertos.” His program notes for Last are as follows:
The Stoics recommend we live in the present: to fret over the past or stress about the future is counterproductive because these lie beyond our control. But I think there are other ways to respond to the past. We can cherish and even mourn what is no longer present. For me, our past populates our present, whether it be last year, last month, last week, or last Sunday.
Recordings
- Torke: Last, Siwoo Kim, East Coast Chamber Orchestra michaeltorke.com
Featured Image: “Landscape (American Lake in Summer)” (1844), Thomas Cole