Program Notes

Out of the Box – Favorites from Alarm Will Sound
 

5-6-7-8
Michael Schachter

Five–Six–Seven–Eight is dedicated to Alarm Will Sound, for whom the work was written. The work consists of four miniatures, each between one and two minutes in length. The title, a reference to the common bandstand count-in, reflects the different dancelike characters of each miniature, which draw inspiration from my research into folk and classical dance styles from around the world.     -Michael Schachter

Schism
David Biedenbender

Schism is about divisions. I wrote Schism in 2010 in the midst of the turbulent national mid-term elections, a time that, in the context of more recent political turmoil, actually seems quite tame. I was overwhelmingly frustrated by the sophomoric mud-slinging and ridiculous lies being told by many politicians and the variously allied media, but I was also somewhat amused by what was nothing short of a nationwide goat rodeo*. Much of the musical material is transcribed almost note for note from an improvisation I played on the piano and recorded in the early stages of sketching the piece. I remember being interested in combining the pointillism of Anton Webern’s music with a bluesy rock groove, so much of the piece is based on a single, simple, eighth note based, divided melodic line that jumps around the piano in very large leaps. I think of the musical affect as similar to the compound melodies in J.S. Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites, where a single melodic line is perceptually transformed through large leaps into multiple voices, though, in the end, I used the ensemble to actually hold out the notes the piano could not to add color, character, and attitude to the independent voices. I also wanted to play with the notion of groove by dividing it in unusual and unexpected ways, almost like running a few of the licks and grooves through a meat grinder.

Schism was originally written for the chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound. This version for winds and percussion was commissioned by a consortium of ensembles led by Robert Carnochan and the University of Texas at Austin Wind Symphony as well as Michael Haithcock, University of Michigan; Chris Knighten, University of Arkansas; Steven D. Davis, University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music.

*A goat rodeo is a slang term for a chaotic situation, often one that involves several people, each with a different agenda/vision/perception of what’s going on; a situation that is very difficult, despite energy and efforts, in which to instill any sense or order.    –David Biedenbender

Clapping Music
Steve Reich

Starting in 1971 my ensemble began touring Europe. We would carry 2000 pounds of loudspeakers, amplifiers, drums, marimbas, glockenspiels, electric organs, microphones, and so on. In 1972 I composed Clapping Music to create a piece of music that would need no instruments beyond the human body. At first I thought it would be a phase piece, but this proved inappropriate since it introduced a difficulty (phasing) that seemed inconsistent with such a simple way of producing sound. The solution was to have one part remain fixed, repeating the pattern throughout, while the second moves abruptly, after a number of repeats, from unison to one beat ahead, and so on, until it is back in unison with the first. It can thus be difficult to hear that the second performer is in fact always playing the same pattern as the first, though starting in a different place.     -Steve Reich

Ten Thousand Birds
John Luther Adams

My life’s work began with birds. From songbirdsongs (1974-80), to Inuksuit (2008), to Canticles of the Holy Wind (2013), the songs of birds have engaged my ears and my imagination for more than forty years. Now I’ve embarked on a new, open-ended series of pieces for a full range of instrumentation – from solos to full orchestra – under the collective title Ten Thousand Birds.

All the sounds in this music are specifically notated. However, the moment-to-moment sequence of events is not fixed. There is no master score. In the tradition of Henry Cowell and Lou Harrison’s “performance kits”, this folio of unbound pages is an atlas of musical possibilities for performers to use in creating their own unique realizations of the music.

The sequence of phrases on the page does not necessarily imply the sequence of events in performance. Musicians are free to choose when and for how long to play each phrase and rest, within the broad guidelines provided. There is no rhythmic coordination between instruments, except where specifically noted.

Each piece in this folio is a self-contained “place” that occupies its own physical space and its own time. The instruments of each piece/place should be relatively near each other, except where otherwise noted. A piece/place may begin as soon as the minimum number of required instruments is present and may continue as long as the minimum number of instruments is present.

Pieces may be combined, simultaneously and sequentially, to create varied performances. A performance should encompass the largest possible physical space. There should be moments when all or most of the available instruments are playing as many different pieces in as many different locations as possible. Conversely, there should be moments when only a single piece is being performed in a single location. Musicians are encouraged to move around and among the listeners and listeners should be free to move around and among the musicians.

The size of the ensemble and the duration of a performance may be tailored to the specific site and occasion. It is not necessary to play all the pieces in this collection. It’s not even necessary to play all the musical material within a particular piece. However, symphonic-scale performances with many musicians are encouraged. And even with smaller ensembles, performances are most appropriately staged as complete concert-length events.

There should be moments when all or most of the available instruments are playing as many different pieces in as many different locations as possible. Conversely, there should be moments when only a single piece is being performed in a single location.

The sequence of pieces and locations of instruments may be organized around the songs of birds that sing at different times of day and night.

The materials include a sample sequence of pieces. This is only an example. Performers are encouraged to create their own sequence of pieces/places for the unique conditions of their ensemble, occasion and performance site.     -John Luther Adams

Ravish & Mayhem
Stephanie Berg

The inspiration for Ravish and Mayhem came to me randomly while driving on a long trip some years ago. Perhaps highway hypnosis forced my brain to create some sort of entertainment, but nevertheless I was taken by the vivacity and virtuosity of what I heard. The image that stuck in my head was that of a bacchanal-esque Arabian street festival, and I sought to encapsulate that energy into the piece through the triumphant fanfares and lively folk-style melodies that are presented throughout. I imagine a person traveling from scene to scene, witnessing wild dancers, street performers, and amorous couples until the elephants arrive to announce the grand finale. Many thanks go out to Dr. Thomas McKenney and Dr. Stefan Freund for their guidance in writing this piece.    -Stephanie Berg

Unremixed
Stephen Freund

“Unremixed” was written for Alarm Will Sound’s debut at the Lincoln Center Festival in 2005. The work was created as a finale for the concert, which was the complete presentation of “Acoustica,” Alarm Will Sound’s album of arrangements of Aphex Twin’s electronica. The work integrates several ideas from Aphex Twin’s music as well as instrumental techniques used in Acoustica arrangements to imitate electronic sounds.

“Unremixed” is divided into four sections. The first features the descent from “Gwely Mernans” presented in various ratios against a consistent quarter note pulse divided into sixteenths. A lick similar to the pentatonic figures found in “Cliffs” emerges, played in different meters against the pulse.

A bombastic percussion solo leads to the second section, which places a firm 5/4 pulse against a tune formed from two phrases of 10/16 that change their division of the meter. Though not directly taken from the music of Aphex Twin, the tune is reminiscent of many modal funky grooves found in electronic dance music. Eventually it is placed against the descent from the previous section.

The third section imitates the industrial sound of electronica. The tune from “Meltphace 6” emerges over a 7/8 groove whose working title was “Sick Machine.” Various layers are added to the texture to grow towards a giant climax.

The final section is a simple dance party featuring techno drum tracks that grow increasingly complex and a sped up presentation of the mixed meter dance tune from the second section. The performers are encouraged to get a little rowdy towards the end.    -Stephen Freund