In this varied song cycle, Michel van der Aa, recipient of the Grawemeyer Award, sets two poems by the poet Carol Ann Duffy to music, yet also relies on the narrative power of instrumental music. The protagonists - violin, double-bass, mezzo-soprano, and piano - encounter each other musically and scenically in constantly new constellations. In doing so, the members of the heterogeneous quartet are not just performers to the composer: The music comes through to a modern inwardness, sometimes vigorous and rough, sometimes lost in contemplation. The unusual allocation of roles and the incessant individuality of the 'voices' make For the time being a border-crossing work.