Movements

Play an excerpt from the first movement of Movements. Play an excerpt from the second movement of Movements. Play an excerpt from the third movement of Movements.

Composer: Bruce Hamilton Instrumentation: 15 Instruments (flute/piccolo, oboe/English horn, clarinet/bass clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, 2 percussion, harp, 2 violins, viola, cello, double bass) Year Composed: 1997-1998 Duration: 15 minutes (3 movements) Cost: Rental: $120.00 Purchase: $150.00 Movements: I. dances II. twine III. undertow Program Notes: With Movements, for fifteen instrumentalists, my basic intent was to compose short pieces with clear ideas and well-defined forms that could fit together in a satisfying multi-movement structure. The content (and title) of the work is strongly influenced by Stravinsky, though Webern, Crumb, Ligeti, Reich, Fox, and O'Brien make casual appearances as well. dances is a "theme and variations" based on a dance-like melody. Some variations are firmly rooted in one key while others are polytonal. twine is a slow, mostly quiet piece with melodic fragments that twist, connect, establish harmonies, and disappear. undertow is dominated by two basic melodic ideas--a fast, rising arpeggiated figure and a slow, stepwise descending line. The harmony is derived from the melodic content and often provides a shifting, elastic harmonic pull towards different tonal centers. All three movements feature syncopated rhythms, flexible harmony, and an emphasis on color and texture. Movements was written for the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble who played the first performance in March 1998 under the direction of David Stock.

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