FLUTE – Mixed Ensemble
Mixed Trios:
A sunset sonata (3/16/21) for flute, viola and harp – 7’00”. The work is in three movements. The title comes from a line in a poem by Carl Sandburg. I grew up in northern Ohio on the eastern edge of the corn belt. The surrounding fields were always alive in the wind. In summer, they are warm, sunny, peaceful places where “the prairie sings to me.” Hear the breezes in the harp glissandos and feel the restful leisure of the intertwining melodic lines. As the evening approaches, rain clouds gather, and the wind picks up. There is an intensity in the air and a sense of sudden instability, framed here by chromatic lines from flute and viola against the diatonic stability of the harp. At the same time, the late afternoon sun creates an array of colors in the sky. That is the nature of the “spring breeze.” The patter of water on the dry earth is heard in the constant repetition of sixteenth notes. It is the kind of gentle shower that is good for the crops and a farmer’s delight. Cheerful melodic patterns jumping between instruments proclaim, “send us at last a joyful rain.” MIDI performance.
Colloquialisms (8/22/19) for flute and two Clarinets – 8’46”. MIDI performance.
From Fits and Starts (8/26/13) for flute, cello and string bass – 6’30”. The elements of this piece were chosen almost at random from several clichés. I wanted contrasting elements that could coexist: rising repeated-notes with gaps of silence, four rising eighth notes reminiscent of the crowd-rousing organ at a baseball game, a jazzy riff with a counter riff as accompaniment, a slower hymn-like melody with a narrow range, full-octave glissandos, and a short ostinato with a lazy descending melody above. From these, the form of the piece unfolded as an ill-defined rhapsody, never quite at ease with itself.
Live recording. The work was premiered by the Fresno State New Music Ensemble on November 16, 2016, on the CSU-Fresno campus.
Recent photo of the New Music Ensemble at Fresno State.
Mixed Quartets:
Mood Rondo (4/20/23) for quartet of flute, clarinet, percussion and piano – 7’00”. The form of the piece is roughly that of a seven-part rondo in which the opening theme is interrupted by several contrasting themes but reappears between them. However, my focus was not on form but on emotional impact. Each section creates its own mood. For instance, the sections with tom-toms are tense compared to the lighter, more lyric sections featuring vibraphone. Overall, the work proceeds from darker to brighter emotions. MIDI performance.
April Nights (5/6/13) available for flute, clarinet, viola and cello or flute, clarinet, horn and bassoon or flute, clarinet, viola and bassoon – 5’00”. Spring is a time of renewal and growth. This work takes three simple ideas (one lively and rhythmic, a second using sustained rising fifths, and the third a flowing melody) and combines them in different ways to capture the freshness of early Spring evenings. MIDI performance.
Grandma’s House (3/19/13) for Flute/Piccolo, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Violin and cello – 8’30”. The work was inspired by memories of visiting my grandmother’s house. The four movements are “The Hidden Attic Entry” with its sense of mystery, “The Squeaky Rocker” and its sing-song rocking, the squeaky “The Foot-Bellow Reed Organ” and “The Crowded Cubby” with its overlapping lines. 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.
Obstination (1/15/16) for flute, horn, violin, cello, and piano – 10’00”. I made up the term “obstination” to refer to a state of pointed and fully intentional obstinacy. I use this term knowing that obstinacy already covers this meaning, but I am too stubborn to use it. Conflict and dramatic tension result from “obstination,” even if compromise is in everyone’s best interest. This work follows such a conflict. The principal theme in the first movement is all about assertiveness. If the movement were a character, it would be a character that knew it was right. The second movement “character” can be interpreted as more introspective and intellectual. It includes a carefully stated argument, played by the horn, and a piano solo that reflects pride in the horn’s argument. This, too, is a character that thinks it has won. The third character or movement represents the victim of a lack of compromise. There are troubled chords and a melancholy melody from the flute. Tension builds. Finally, the piano enters with a series of extremely frustrated and manic statements. These subside in resignation, and the work ends. MIDI performance.
Mixed Octets:
Citta di’Udine (2010) for flute/piccolo, B-flat clarinet/bass clarinet, percussion, piano and string quartet – 7’40”. This work is based largely on memories of a stay in Italy in 1975. I was staying with friends in a villa in the hills about five miles from the city. We were young, and it was the first time in a foreign country. Everything was an adventure, whether it was searching for portabella mushrooms in the forest or buying bread and cheese in the open market. This piece attempts to capture the joy of youth and adventure when everything was new, and life appeared to have no limits. MIDI performance.
Mixed Nonets:
Reflections in a Time of Pandemic (7/5/20) for Piccolo, Flute, Oboe, English Horn, Clarinet in Bb, Horn in F, 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.
Mixed Ten Performers:
Semper Fi (2014) for flute, trumpet, 2 trombones, tuba, cello and four percussion – 9’45”. I have always admired the courage and conviction of the Marine Corps. Their loyalty to one another and to the corps creates a comradery that is powerful and patriotic. The three movements of this work represent different aspects of the life of a marine. “The Forced March” uses a driving rhythm to propel the strains of the melody. A slower section, representing the exhaustion of an extended troop movement interrupts the flow before the main melodic strain returns. “Fallen Comrade” uses pyramiding, cluster-like chords to depict a sense of anguish and loss. Against this, both trombones and the flute have extended solos, expressing both a sense of mutual affection and devotion to a lost soul. “No Man Left Behind” uses harmonic tension and driving, syncopated rhythms to create a sense of the difficulties one might experience in rescuing a fellow marine. The music becomes very quiet near the end, denoting spent energy perhaps. However, the piece ends on a positive note, indicating a successful rescue. MIDI performance.