Bagatelles (2017)
for Pierrot Quintet
(flute, clarinet, violin, violoncello, piano)
{5'30"}
I. Satire
II. Strata
commissioned by Eastman Broadband Ensemble
premiered June 3, 2017 in Maccagno, Italy at SoundSCAPE 2017
Alex Ishov, flute/piccolo
Sammy Lesnick, clarniet
Hanna Hurwitz, violin
Colin Stokes, violoncello
Daniel Pesca, piano
Michael Lewanski, conductor
Program Note
These paired miniatures are subject to constraint: intervallic and note-durational, respectively.
Satire is staunchly grammatical in its phrase structure, while lexically scrambled in its tonal vocabulary, insofar as its vertical cross-sections are entire mixed-modal collections, with an emphasis on the audibility of 7ths and 9ths. Its stiff rhythmic framework is countered by angular pitch content, unpredictable dynamic inflection and a droll disposition.
Strata is named for its stratification into six registral streams, per which different note values exclusively apply, ranging from 32nd notes in the extreme treble to double whole notes in the extreme bass. Occasionally, this mensural rule is suspended to accommodate octave doublings or elongate phrasal endings, but the underlying structure entirely stems from this premise.