Desert Flower (2004)
For Concert Band
Premiered at the Governors School East, Raliegh, North Carolina, Kevin Streich, conductor, July, 2004
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Desert Flower - sample 1
Desert Flower - sample 2
Desert Flower - sample 3
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Publisher: C. Alan Publications
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Scored for Piccolo, Flutes 1, 2, 3; Oboes 1, 2: Clarinets 1, 2, 3 (Bb), Bass Clarinet (Bb); Bassoons 1, 2; Alto Saxophones 1, 2, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone; Trumpets 1, 2, 3 (Bb); Horns 1, 2, 3, 4 (F); Trombones 1,2 Bass Trombone; Euphonium, Tuba; Double Bass; Percussion 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.
Duration: 11:30
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Program note
Make no doubt about it, the Balinese Gamelan Orchestra, with its rich metallic timbres, was in the back of my mind as I conjured Desert Flower. My initial step was to compose a short score for percussion alone. As I considered the full score, it seemed completely natural to allow the wind instruments to embellish the melodic lines of the percussion instruments. The percussion section, then, provides the backbone, the figured bass as it were, for the winds. The winds add a variety of articulations and phrasings to the original lines and occasionally introduce their own motives. The resultant texture is often referred to as heterophony. The main body of the work is framed by a passage of deep wind sonority, which underlies a somewhat fragile, but anxious, melodic voice assigned to the xylophone.
Having completed Taj Mahalfor chamber orchestra in just the first two months of 2004, I was on a roll. I was enjoying writing for smaller forces and in a somewhat simpler style than had been my norm. I shifted my interest from the pseudo-Indian flavor to the sound of the Indonesian gamalan, hoping to capture some of its meditative essence.
I also wanted to write for the Michigan State University Concert Band. The concert band had improved dramatically over the past few years. It was still the number three band after the Wind Symphony and the Symphony Band, but the level had risen to such a point that I felt I could write something challenging, but not beyond that ensemble. The conductor of the Concert Band, Wesley Broadnax, was receptive, as always, to my proposal. Gamalan music is generally characterized by a predominant metallic sound, and the tuning is not the same as that of Western temperaments. I proceeded to the Percussion Studio and asked Jon Weber to show me what gongs were available. There were at least a dozen, and Jon explained that he could build two frames, each of which would support four or five gongs. Thank you, Jon.
My instrumentation was basically that of the standard concert band with a large perussion section – seven players. The percussion instruments included four high gongs (no specific tuning required), four low gongs (no specific tuning required), three tam-tams, three Japanese Temple Bells, Chimes, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Xylophone, and a five-octave Marimba. The main body of the composition consists of a set of ostinato variations and fugato. Over a ground bass, more and more lines are added polyphonically as the piece expands. This structure is enclosed by a more granite, perhaps more evocative, section which serves to set the stage for the main event as well as bring closure when the variations have run their course. This prelude-postlude section seemed to me to express the opening of a flower as the sun ascends and the flower’s closing in evening’s twilight. Hence, the title Desert Flower.
The first performance was given in July, 2004 at the Governor’s School East in Raleigh, North Carolina. Kevin Streich invited me to serve as guest composer for a few days. This was a thoroughly enjoyable visit. Kevin led the ensemble in the premiere and proved to be a solid conductor. Wesley Broadnax followed through with his promise and presented Desert Flowerwith the Concert Band in December, 2004. Thank you, Kevin. Thank you, Wes. William Berz followed soon after with a fine performance by his wind ensemble at Rutgers University. Thank you, Bill.
Jere Hutcheson
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