Performed by Ariel Jackson, Sam Um, Kurt Fedde, and Christian Covington.
Program Notes:
Bloom (2011) is scored for four marimbas. The piece weaves between minimalism and post-rock, reflecting my interest in bands like Radiohead and Sigur Ros.
Much like minimalism, post-rock compositions feature motivic ideas that are organically developed over time. Rather than utilizing the verse-chorus form of standard rock music, post-rockers tend to create an atmosphere of textures, utilizing thick orchestrations and a wide range of dynamics. With Bloom, I wanted to create the same idea of texture and motivic development, while maintaining the energy and accessibility of the bands I like so much.
I composed the opening motive in my living room on my small electric keyboard, a source of inspiration for many of my doodles. Rather than scoring this motive for one instrument, I decided to split the motive throughout the ensemble, creating a "panned" texture. This splitting technique resurfaces throughout the work, creating a rather difficult performance element for the players involved.
Other than the post-rock influence mentioned above, there was no strategic compositional plan in mind. The piece seemed to grow from the opening four note motive.
Bloom was awarded 1st Prize in the 2011 Percussive Arts Society Composition Contest. The piece is dedicated to my good friend, George Clements.
- Ivan Trevino
30 окт 2011
