OBOE and ENGLISH HORN in Ensembles
The English horn is only used in Ionic Motion in Alkali Borate Glass and Reflections in a Time of Pandemic.
Mixed Trios:
Flatiron Suite (6/26/20) for oboe, clarinet in A and bassoon – 11’00”. The work is a tribute to George A. Fuller, Father of the Modern Skyscraper, and the building built by his company and named in his honor. It is now known as The Flatiron Building because of its location and distinctive shape. It is in three movements: Skyscraper March, The Winds at Twenty-third, and City Life. MIDI performance.
Trio for Oboe, Clarinet and Piano (5/6/20) 16’00”. The work is in four movements. The first movement begins with an Adagio clearly establishing the key of A minor and featuring oboe and clarinet against a light accompaniment. A more heavily scored Allegro follows leading to a prolonged cadenza-like duet for the winds based on previous themes. A brief Adagio section concludes the movement. The second movement is a five-part rondo – ABACA. It is characterized by an upbeat opening in compound duple meter. The B section is slightly slower, featuring a dialog between oboe and clarinet. The C begins with a clarinet melody and an active piano accompaniment. The third movement is slow, quiet and contemplative. The fourth movement is a five-part rondo that begins with a heavily scored, repetitive pulsing from the piano, a sustained part for clarinet, and a rhythmically active part for the oboe in a high tessitura. MIDI performance.
Winds on the Ridge (4/10/17) for oboe, clarinet and bassoon – 4’20”. I live along the Florida Ridge, one that frankly has very little altitude. However, the winds along any ridge are almost constant, though they vary in intensity and type. Imagine morning winds that begin with short, repeated gusts that fade and then reappear. By noon, the winds are steady, providing coolness in the sunny landscape. Later, the winds begin to swirl, creating a canon of repeated patterns that dance among the trees like a melody passed between instruments. In late afternoon, the winds taper off into a gentle, rippling effect, but there are still occasional gusts. As the light fades, so do the winds. MIDI performance.
Embedded Counterpoint (3/20/17) for oboe, clarinet and bassoon – 11’15”. The first movement is a simple ternary form in which the B section is an extended fugue. The slow movement is quite chromatic and somber. Imitative passages alternate with more climactic interludes. The finale features several sections in quintuple meter. The first of these is a tense, energetic canon. The two subsequent sections are freely composed, bringing the close of the work to a more relaxed conclusion. MIDI performance.
Mixed Quartets:
Ionic Motion in Alkali Borate Glass (2/10/18) for oboe, English horn, clarinet and marimba – 6’20”. The single largest use of boron compounds in the world is the production of certain types of boron-treated glass fiber for insulating and structural fiberglass. This piece attempts to portray the interior of an alkali borate glass sample using sounds. The glass structure itself is vibrating and is represented by variations in the background created on the marimba. One can imagine the ionic motion more as jumps than fluent movements. Thus, the wind parts often move by large leaps. Musically, the meeting of positive ions becomes the meeting of musical instruments on the same pitch, which causes an abrupt breakdown of all existing patterns before the marimba resumes its variations. Negative charged oxygen atoms are favored by the positive atoms, shown in the piece by converging musical lines from the winds that end without forming a unison, followed by repeated dissonant chords. MIDI performance.
Mixed Quintets:
Little Symphonette (8/6/17) for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and solo timpani – 10’30”. The piece consists of four short movements. Throughout the work, the timpani play a major role, somewhat akin to a soloist. To the extent that there is a program, the timpani player is its protagonist. “Arrivals” begins the story. There is an element of anticipation in the opening with its composite rhythm of nearly unrelenting sixteenth notes. A contrasting slow section begins with a dialog between winds and timpani. “Relationships” starts with quarter-note movement in the woodwinds and the timpani in the background. A timpani solo interrupts before the opening returns. “Dance” puts the timpani in charge again. The timpanist is challenged by frequent, fast pitch changes that require muscle memory tuning. “Finale” begins with a fanfare motive that is reinforced by the entry of the timpani. MIDI performance.
Strawberries at Center Court (7/3/16) for flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet and piano – 5’50”. The title, of course, indicates Wimbledon. I composed this work during the 2016 competition, shortly after the Brexit vote. I’ve always been a little amazed that the general populace keeps going with the same sense of well-being regardless of political circumstance, perhaps explaining why this work is upbeat. The relation of the work to Wimbledon is simple. The tournament is a celebration, only briefly interrupted by more somber thoughts of the world beyond. MIDI performance.
Mixed Nonets:
Reflections in a Time of Pandemic (7/5/20) for piccolo, flute, oboe, English horn, clarinet, horn, trumpet, tuba and piano – 6’30”. The work begins with the fugal entry of the very quiet main theme with its disjunct rising sevenths and falling thirds and sixths by clarinet, horn and tuba. The mood of the music oscillates between unease and fear. From the outset, it falls short of being peaceful. The effort to maintain calm becomes more complicated. It culminates with the opening gesture played loudly against accented, dissonant, pyramidal sevenths. The last statement is not fugal and begins calmly against descending sixteenth-note gestures. The theme is stated chordally, and the mood remains calm, even against the piano ostinato and oscillating half steps. MIDI performance.