Title: Vagabond Coils
Author: Original
Time: 9 Minutes
Orchestration: Mixed Chamber Ensemble
Kind: Quartet
Instrumentation: Flute, Clarinet, Viola, Cello
Program Notes: This is a work inspired primarily by the music of Mark Gresham. While the title takes its name from two pieces written by Gresham, called “Vagabond Drumming” and “Mortal Coils,” I used them both quite loosely. The piece, stylistically speaking, is a bit rugged and untamed. There is a certain folk element to the rhythm and meter that I thought could be suggestive of some of the more rollicking and tuneful melodies that Gresham is known for writing. Also, the main melody, first presented by the clarinet, possesses a certain lilt, a spinning quality that twists and turns with the beat, which is built on an ostinato set in 5/8 meter. The work is in 2 main sections, one fast, the other slow, with a short recapitulation of the primary theme, to cap the piece off.
Commissioned (Premier performance) by -
Kanad Khan, flute
Barbra Ann Bon Giovanni, clarinet
Amy Leventhal, viola
Elizabeth Murphy, cello
Key: N/A
Written: 2014
Premiered: May 1, 2014
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