as the light begins to drift (2019) for sinfonietta
by Paul Novak
Performed February 2022 as part of the RED NOTE New Music Festival at Illinois State University
Anthony Marinello, conductor
Brianne Steif, flute
Judith Dicker, oboe
Anne Dervin, clarinet
Michael Dicker, bassoon
Anne McNamara, trumpet
Rachel Hockenberry, horn
Baryl Brandt & Will Lawton, percussion
Mark Babbitt, trombone
Pei-I Wang, piano
Alex Malaimare and Sharon Chung, violins
Nick McKee, viola
Gita Srinivasan, cello
Hunter Thoms, double bass
Program Notes: As a student at Rice, I’ve become familiar with the unusual and beautiful cloud formations that appear in East Texas skies. as the light begins to drift was inspired by their subtle interplay of light and shadow and their flowing, hazy geometries. The work opens with a burst of swirling texture, with spiraling runs and swells entangling in a chaotic sound world. The brass interjects with jagged, syncopated hits as different instruments emerge from and then vanish into the ensemble. After a spiraling downward run, a plaintive English horn melody is accompanied by a canopy of string harmonics and trills. In the second section, crystalline percussion instruments merge with subtle orchestral textures. A clarinet solo leads into a pulsing triplet ostinato, which is passed throughout the ensemble, growing in intensity until it reaches a furious climax. The work closes gently with the return of the English horn, fading to nothing in a halo of shimmering sounds.
as the light begins to drift for sinfonietta was written for Rice’s Hear&Now Ensemble in April 2019; the version for chamber orchestra was completed in August 2019.
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14 окт 2024
