While world leaders at COP30 in Belém fiercely debate humanity's future with the planet, a radical perspective emerged 5,000 miles away in Los Angeles. What if we're not the center of Earth's story? David Lang's before and after nature, premiered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, boldly removes humans from the equation, offering a hauntingly beautiful meditation on our planet's existence before and after us. But here's where it gets controversial: Lang challenges the very concept of 'nature,' arguing it's a human invention. And this is the part most people miss: his music, paired with Tal Rosner's abstract visuals, doesn't preach solutions; it evokes a surreal emptiness, leaving us with more questions than answers.
Lang, a musical chameleon known for everything from whisper-quiet operas to 1,000-voice choruses, has evolved into a 'purifier' of sound. His earlier works, like the provocatively titled Eating Living Monkeys, courted outrage. Now, he strips music to its essence, crafting pieces like poor hymnal, a choral work urging compassion for the marginalized. before and after nature continues this evolution, drawing from 50 creation myths to create a text of erasures—75 lines devoid of human-centric concepts like height, depth, or existence itself.
The piece, performed by 20 singers and the Bang on a Can All-Stars, unfolds over an hour, alluding to a world without us. 'Mountains never climbed,' 'air never breathed,' and John Muir's awe before nature's grandeur echo through the score. The final section, 'soft rains,' depicts a world ending and beginning anew, indifferent to our absence.
Lang's minimalist style, amplified yet textually obscured, pairs perfectly with Rosner's vibrant, screensaver-like visuals. The result? A thought-provoking experience that's both unsettling and mesmerizing. Gershon and the Master Chorale, despite Lang's insistence on using Rosner's videos, recorded the piece, ensuring its impact endures beyond the stage.
As COP30 grapples with tangible solutions, Lang offers something intangible: a musical reflection on our fleeting place in Earth's grand narrative. Is this the future of environmental art—not solutions, but questions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments. Will Lang's erasure of humanity's centrality resonate, or does it miss the mark? The conversation starts here.
