Chamber Music

Paraphrase was composed in January 1996. It was first performed on July 23, 1997, by the Onyx String Quartet. As the title suggests, Paraphrase is a reworking of my earlier Two Pieces for Chamber Ensemble, which is scored for flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano, and percussion. The translation between these two media was something that interested me greatly, the challenge being to create something that was completely idiomatic for the strings even though it was not originally conceived for them.

The piece is cast in two movements, the first of which is a slow passacaglia (ie. a piece based on a repeated melody or bass line) framed by an explosive introduction and conclusion. Over the course of the passacaglia, the entrances of the theme speed up and overlap, becoming a series of mensuration canons. The second movement releases the explosive energy of the first movement, spinning out as a lively and virtuosic romp.

Elegy was composed in October 1995 as a companion piece to Vortex. It was first performed on October 31, 1995, by the University of Texas New Music Ensemble with the composer conducting. Elegy is a slow passacaglia (i.e. a piece based on a repeated melody) framed by an atmospheric introduction and conclusion. Over the course of the passacaglia, the entrances of the theme speed up and overlap, becoming a series of mensuration canons. This kind of intricate counterpoint has been one of my compositional obsessions through time.

Vortex was composed in May 1995, and was first performed by the Aspen Contemporary Ensemble, conducted by William Intriligator. It is a short, energetic piece that begins with a burst of energy. A mysterious passage ensues, punctuated by occasional outbursts, and builds gradually until the opening intensity is regained. At that point, the opening outburst is juxtaposed with two contrasting ideas–a disjunct triplet motive and a restless, hovering motive–in rapid succession. The opening outburst returns to close off the section, leading into a dreamlike passage that features the strings in triple-octaves, accompanied by the marimba and piano. As this intensifies, the cello takes the lead in its lowest octave, ushering in a return of the opening outburst. This subsides into the triplet idea, which becomes an ostinato in the piano. From here the intensity builds to the end of the piece, with all of the main ideas returning in varied form. The concluding peroration is the final embodiment of the opening outburst.

Blues was composed in August of 1993 and was first performed in Arcosanti, AZ that same month. Cast in a single movement, Blues freely invokes the jazz idiom. However, these materials are submitted to classical formal treatment. The piece opens with the violin playing a generic Twentieth-Century motive, a stack of fourths. Against this, the piano introduces a dominant seventh chord, saying in effect “forget this, let’s play!”. The violin quickly complies, introducing the first of three melodies. This melody is answered by the piano, while the violin plays figuration. The second melody is introduced in the piano and answered by the violin in multiple-stops. The third melody is likewise introduced by the piano, and, during the violin’s answer, the piano introduces increasingly active figuration that brings back the accompaniment to the first melody, albeit in a transformed, virtuosic form. Against this, the violin restates the first melody, but, before it can conclude, it is abruptly cut off by a walking bass line. This marks the beginning of the second section of the piece, which is essentially a passacaglia (a piece based on a repeating bass line). Over this bass line, the piano plays an improvisatory (though not improvised) solo. When the violin enters, its solo begins to allude to the materials from the first section of the piece. The piano then repeats its solo in dialogue with the violin, bringing the section to a close. The third section brings back the materials from the first section, but in a new context. It begins with a fugue based on the third melody. This fugue contains many of the traditional fugal devices, including inversion, canon, and stretto. At the end of the fugue, the walking bass returns. This time, however, the musical device of quod libet is used, as each of the three main themes is simultaneously recapitulated above it. This climactic juxtaposition of the four main materials from the piece brings the third section to a close and launches into a restatement of the opening and into a virtuosic coda.