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Benjamin C.S. Boyle's Jeff Quartet, Empire of Crystal, premiered in July and offered here as our gift for #GivingTuesday.

PS - Thanks to Dave Tavani, Paul Vazquez, and the artists of The Crossing for this offering.

Empire of Crystal
by Benjamin C.S. Boyle

“And yet I know,” [he would say], “that my empire is made of the stuff of crystals, [its molecules arranged in a perfect pattern]. Amid the surge of the elements, a splendid hard diamond takes shape, an immense, faceted, transparent mountain. Why do your [travel] impressions stop at disappointing appearances, [never catching this implacable process]? Why do you linger over inessential melancholies?Why do you hide from the emperor the grandeur of his destiny?”
- from Invisible Cities (Chapter 4) by Italo Calvino (1923-1985), translated by William Weaver [bracketed text omitted by the composer]