For: Single winds, harp, 2 percussion
This very early piece was composed for Alea III and Theodore Antoniou, and performed in 1981. It owes quite a lot to Varèse (perhaps a bit too much). Still it has its moments. I had an early interest in mallet instruments, and this may be the first piece that used marimba. It is not currently in playable condition. Most of the useable material pops up in the Wind Symphony (which still awaits completion)
There’s a brief section at the end where all hell breaks loose. There’s a little story here. Theodore Antoniou was my most important teacher, both in terms of helpful criticism and early career boosts. When he conducted any music with wild or a piaceri passages, he’d waggle “jazz hands” to encourage that freedom in the performers. We called that the Theodore Shimmy. I had that in mind in those last 20 bars. Theodore’s gone now, but he still lives in my imagination.
If you’re interested, you can request a score at the bottom of this page
Listen now
Complete piece.