WIND QUINTET (2019)
flute (piccolo), oboe (English horn), clarinet, horn, bassoon
flute (piccolo), oboe (English horn), clarinet, horn, bassoon
PROGRAM NOTES
The modern wind quintet has enjoyed a rich, colorful history for two centuries. With this Wind Quintet, I strove to put my own personal spin on the genre while still honoring its heritage. The resulting work, therefore, is a study in tradition and play, upholding my philosophy of writing something I’d enjoy if I were sitting in the audience—and something that hopefully fulfills players in rehearsal and performance.
The first movement is straight-up, classical sonata form. This choice was an experiment to see if this tried, embraced, discarded, and re-embraced mold stands the test of time, making it “my own” only by placing my own ideas inside. The second movement takes the form of a rondo with a reflective introduction and lively coda. This mixed-meter movement is built around a repetitive, jaunty A theme that returns twice after its first statement, with contrasting themes sandwiched in between (ABACA). The third movement is a theme and variations—or perhaps more accurately, a hymn and investigations. After the theme (the hymn), a jiglike variation in 6/8 leads into a more pensive variation with the theme covered-up in the bassline. A pointillist restatement of the theme pops up and dances right into a fugue, which takes up the rest of the movement. After hearkening back to my original hymn tune, the third movement settles to a close, and the finale begins. This last movement is ternary (ABA, that is) and features an A theme built around two syncopated tunes which are contrasted by a flowing B section. The A section returns after some finagling, and once it pulls itself together, rushes headlong to a jubilant conclusion, joyously concluding the celebration.
—Jacob Beranek
The modern wind quintet has enjoyed a rich, colorful history for two centuries. With this Wind Quintet, I strove to put my own personal spin on the genre while still honoring its heritage. The resulting work, therefore, is a study in tradition and play, upholding my philosophy of writing something I’d enjoy if I were sitting in the audience—and something that hopefully fulfills players in rehearsal and performance.
The first movement is straight-up, classical sonata form. This choice was an experiment to see if this tried, embraced, discarded, and re-embraced mold stands the test of time, making it “my own” only by placing my own ideas inside. The second movement takes the form of a rondo with a reflective introduction and lively coda. This mixed-meter movement is built around a repetitive, jaunty A theme that returns twice after its first statement, with contrasting themes sandwiched in between (ABACA). The third movement is a theme and variations—or perhaps more accurately, a hymn and investigations. After the theme (the hymn), a jiglike variation in 6/8 leads into a more pensive variation with the theme covered-up in the bassline. A pointillist restatement of the theme pops up and dances right into a fugue, which takes up the rest of the movement. After hearkening back to my original hymn tune, the third movement settles to a close, and the finale begins. This last movement is ternary (ABA, that is) and features an A theme built around two syncopated tunes which are contrasted by a flowing B section. The A section returns after some finagling, and once it pulls itself together, rushes headlong to a jubilant conclusion, joyously concluding the celebration.
—Jacob Beranek