Two Waxes (2009) 8'
For Flute and Piano
1. Waxing Rhapsodic Listen
2. Waxing Fantastic Listen
Look at the score
Two Waxes was begun as an idea for a extended solo piano cycle. I had an idea relating to the piano part of E. E.'s Songs that I wanted to explore more fully, and I created a structure that involved a first movement on F sharp and final movement on G flat. After attempting to start, I realized the harmonic movement (involving my favorite polychord juxtaposing two triads a major second apart) was moving too fast and I slowed it down multiple times. At this point, I realized the music I had in front of me required an added instrument to play stream-of-consciousness melodies on top, similar to Streams. About the same time, Meghan Naxer, the dedicatee, asked for a flute and piano work. So, I added a flute part. The stream-of-consciousness writing implied the idea of rhapsodic waxing. The second movement is more buoyant than the first, and uses chords I accidentally played on the piano one day (luckily they fit my normal musical language). The middle section returns to a postminimalist texture before the opening acrobatics end the piece.
April 25, 2010
Greater Cleveland Flute Society Composers' Connection Concert
7pm Judson Manor Cleveland, Ohio
Linda Miller, Flute
Madeline Levitz, Piano
Premiere Performance of First Movement: May 8, 2009
Student Composers Concert
8pm Ludwig Recital Hall Kent State University
Meghan Naxer, Flute
David Kulma, Piano
Premiere Performance of Whole Piece: November 21, 2009
Trystero New Music Concert No. 2
7:30pm Ludwig Recital Hall Kent State University
Meghan Naxer, Flute
Dorian Wallace, Piano
