ChineseAncientDances, ChenYi(b. 2004)
Many of Chen Yi’s compositions take traditional Chinese folk songs and place them in Western music settings. In this piece, the first movement, titled “Ox Tail Dance,” is inspired by an ancient ritualistic dance from the Getian clan. To emulate the sound of a Chinese double reed instrument, the Guanzi, this movement utilizes pitch bending, wide vibrato, and rapid grace notes to capture the spirit of the instrument through its Western cousin. The second movement, “Hu Xuan Dance,” gets its name from a dance style popular during the Tang Dynasty. Also nicknamed “Dance of the Whirling Barbarian,” this dance is characterized by rapid spinning motions while the dancers hold long ribbons in their hands to create beautiful swirling patterns. This visual translates into music as the clarinet and piano turn tight musical circles around each other, eventually coming together and building incredible intensity through the ending.
Burn3,NathanDaughtrey(b. 1975)
Burn3 was originally a composition simply titled Burn for alto saxophone and marimba. The saxophone part was transposed note for note to Bb clarinet and the flute part was added as a new shimmery timbre to contrast with the two wooden instruments. The piece is structured into seven continuous movements, each inspired by different ways fire can burn: “Spark,” “Ignite,” “Dance,” “Scorch,” “Smolder,” “Incinerate, ” and “Extinguish.” In most of the movements, the three musicians play the same or similar figures in a close canon, creating a flurry of sound that mimics the rapid characteristic of flames. As a percussionist himself, the marimba part is written as far more than simple accompaniment and is prominently featured during movements “Dance” and “Smolder.”
TonadayCueca,CarlosGuastavino(1912-200)
Despite his colleagues’ development into avant-garde and modernist styles, Carlos Guastavino remained more conservative in his music, often incorporating popular Argentinian folk song melodies and styles in his compositions. The first movement of this piece is titled “Tonada,” drawing its simple and melancholic content from the traditional Chilean rural music of the same name. The second movement, “Cueca,” is based on a traditional Chilean courting dance in which the couple encircle each other while waving handkerchiefs to taunt and lure the other. The man embodies the role of a rooster, the aggressive pursuer, while the woman imitates a hen, demure and elusive.
ConcertoforClarinet,AaronCopland(1900-1990)
In 1947, revered jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman commissioned Copland to write a clarinet concerto, giving the composer complete creative freedom with it. The concerto is laid out in three distinct sections. Movement one is a slow, aching opening that Copland predicted would make audiences weep. The second movement greatly contrasts the previous, its jazzy and almost humorous spirit taking inspiration from Latin American folk tunes and rhythms that Copland heard while on a lecture tour there. Adjoining the two opposing movements is a lengthy cadenza that blends the styles of both and leaves plenty of room for performer interpretation. Due to the improvisatory nature of its source material, there is a wide variety of interpretations of this piece, ranging from those who strictly adhere to the score to those who add in their own embellishments and even fully improvise over the cadenza.