Pierre (2015)
trumpet in C
c. 5 minutes
Premiered by Aaron Kahn
Beall Concert Hall, Eugene, OR, 26 January 2016
c. 5 minutes
Premiered by Aaron Kahn
Beall Concert Hall, Eugene, OR, 26 January 2016
The scene is a dimly lit alleyway in 1940s Paris or New York City. A mysterious figure in a trench coat straight out of a film noir drama slinks through the shadows. Such imagery is a long way from the original conception of this piece—a comical retelling of Sisyphus, eternally pushing a stone that, in fact, was not heavy at all. Little remains of the original draft, save for the title, meaning “stone” in French. In its new context, however, Pierre might refer more to our mysterious protagonist than to a boulder being pushed up a hill.
When I realized that the piece was going in a new direction, I decided to play with the mellower side of the trumpet. The opening is slow, lyrical, and filled with grace notes sliding into other notes. Long-held notes swell from piano to mezzo forte, then fade away. This slow, expressive material is interrupted by a bombastic, faster section that weaves in and out of the opening material for the rest of the work.
My gratitude goes to Aaron Kahn for his support, patience, and flexibility as I slowly but surely changed the concept of this piece. Here, then, is Pierre, with the hope that I will someday write another work for solo trumpet and change its concept yet again, resulting this time in a piece about Sisyphus and his surprisingly light stone.
When I realized that the piece was going in a new direction, I decided to play with the mellower side of the trumpet. The opening is slow, lyrical, and filled with grace notes sliding into other notes. Long-held notes swell from piano to mezzo forte, then fade away. This slow, expressive material is interrupted by a bombastic, faster section that weaves in and out of the opening material for the rest of the work.
My gratitude goes to Aaron Kahn for his support, patience, and flexibility as I slowly but surely changed the concept of this piece. Here, then, is Pierre, with the hope that I will someday write another work for solo trumpet and change its concept yet again, resulting this time in a piece about Sisyphus and his surprisingly light stone.