Divertimento (2002)
Commissioned by bassoonist Teresa Koenig
4:15
bassoon and harp
Notes
Divertimento is a brief musical dialogue that highlights both the lyric and spontaneous characters of the two instruments. The work begins with an ethereal collage of tones upon which the bassoon sings a simple, melodic line. This song is developed further, allowing the two instruments to continue working within the serene backdrop established by the harp. Before long, this is overshadowed by a more aggressive and repetitive gesture, forcing the dialogue into a more agitated texture. The once-ethereal collage becomes fractured by repeated octaves, and eventually yields itself to the more forceful motive. The piece concludes with a final gasp of the original harp music before being completely overtaken by the increasingly agitated texture.
Premiered by bassoonist Theresa Koenig and harpist Megan Stout
April 24, 2003
Auer Hall
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
Audio
Divertimento
PDF Score excerpt