Music
2009 Music
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Some Distance Away for solo trumpet and chamber orchestra
(Ph.D. Dissertation)
Some Distance Away is a concertino for solo trumpet and chamber orchestra, scored
for flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn, clarinet/bass clarinet (in B-flat), bassoon, horn
in F, trumpet in B-flat, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players), piano, 2
violins, viola, violoncello, and contrabass. The title of the piece is taken from a quote
by Leonardo DaVinci: "Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when
you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away
because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and
a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."
This single-movement work of approximately 16 minutes in duration is based upon
proportions, with the most common ratio being that of 3:5 (and its inverse, 5:3). The
most prominent division occurs at approximately the 10-minute mark, dividing the
work into two large sections, A (10 minutes) and B (6 minutes). In addition, these two
sections are also related by tempo, at a ratio of 3:5.
Both of the large sections are divided further into two subsections. In the A section,
the subsections are split in terms of duration at a ratio of 5:3 (a:b); in the second, the
subsections divide at a ratio of 3:5 (b:a). The musical material of the A and B sections,
as well as their subsections, are related. Thus, by having the b subsections placed
adjacent to each other, a mirror form in the music is forged, establishing a ternary
form for the piece. In this way, the piece also mimics the three-movement structure
of classical concerto form.
Reading Session
University of Iowa Center for New Music Ensemble
David Gompper, director; Brian Umlah, trumpet
(Ph.D. Dissertation)
Some Distance Away is a concertino for solo trumpet and chamber orchestra, scored
for flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn, clarinet/bass clarinet (in B-flat), bassoon, horn
in F, trumpet in B-flat, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion (2 players), piano, 2
violins, viola, violoncello, and contrabass. The title of the piece is taken from a quote
by Leonardo DaVinci: "Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when
you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away
because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and
a lack of harmony and proportion is more readily seen."
This single-movement work of approximately 16 minutes in duration is based upon
proportions, with the most common ratio being that of 3:5 (and its inverse, 5:3). The
most prominent division occurs at approximately the 10-minute mark, dividing the
work into two large sections, A (10 minutes) and B (6 minutes). In addition, these two
sections are also related by tempo, at a ratio of 3:5.
Both of the large sections are divided further into two subsections. In the A section,
the subsections are split in terms of duration at a ratio of 5:3 (a:b); in the second, the
subsections divide at a ratio of 3:5 (b:a). The musical material of the A and B sections,
as well as their subsections, are related. Thus, by having the b subsections placed
adjacent to each other, a mirror form in the music is forged, establishing a ternary
form for the piece. In this way, the piece also mimics the three-movement structure
of classical concerto form.
Reading Session
University of Iowa Center for New Music Ensemble
David Gompper, director; Brian Umlah, trumpet
I Am Not Yours is written for and dedicated to Erin Marie Smith. Several of the
poems (especially I Am Not Yours) of the cycle have been subject to various and vastly
different interpretations, and if allowed to stand alone out of the context of the song
cycle would likely carry an entirely different meaning. The set contains five poems
written in English by three women, and is designed to serve as a narrative that traces a
romantic journey from childhood innocence through heartbreak and, finally, mature
love. The cycle furthermore reflects the transition from an egocentric mentality
(which permeates the second and third songs) to an altruistic one (as captured in the
fourth and final poems). The final words of the first poem by Sara Teasdale serve as
inspiration for the underlying theme of the cycle: only through love can one enter
heaven, and true love can only be achieved through selflessness.
Recording from premiere performance at Boston New Music Initiative Inaugural
Concert, February 4, 2010
St. John's Episcopal Church
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
I. Child, Child
II. I Am Not Yours
III. I Shall Not Care
IV. If I can stop one Heart from Breaking
V. How do I Love thee
The noun "hommage" is defined in Webster's New World College Dictionary as "tribute
paid to an artist, writer, composer, etc., as by incorporating some characteristic idiom
or style of the person in one's own work." Hommage for brass quintet draws
inspiration from the organ works of Bach, Couperin, Handel, various Protestant and
Catholic church music, and other similar works, in addition to the obvious American
popular and jazz music influences.
listed above, but with a number of subtle modifications to assure the piece achieves a
more personal and modern resultant sound.
Recording from the premiere performance at the Boston New Music Initiative June
Concert, June 3, 2010
St. John's Episcopal Church
Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts
I. Toccata
II. Chorale
III. Fugue