Pocket Knives, Paper Football (2002)
Commissioned by The Delicato Ensemble
11:00
flute, clarinet, and piano
Notes
When I was first approached to write this piece, I was asked to write a trio in the form of a "romantic sonata". What exactly made a sonata "romantic" or not was not exactly clear to me - later on I would find out that this was simply a descriptive term my friend John had used, with no definite form in mind. None the less, the seed had been planted in my mind - regardless of how I was to write the work, I could not shake the idea of a romantic sonata. The end result of this thought process is the two outer movements of this work are both highly traditional in form, with a middle movement that deviates from that tradition.
This contrast of tradition vs. non-tradition is the central idea behind this work. The whole of this work is a hodgepodge of various musical styles, ranging from classical textures (Alberti bass) to free-aleatory sections. The harmonic language, likewise, is an eclectic mix of diatonicism, octatonicism, and atonality, with pitch centers used as harmonic "guideposts".
As for the rather unique title to this work, it likewise carries with it a stark contrast - albeit one more of imagery than of musical tradition. The original thought of a paper football came to me while watching an over repeated commercial on television involving this childhood icon. Immediately, I attempted to think of a contrasting item that could resonate alongside the playful image of a paper football. Eventually, the pocket knife came to mind, a symbol of childhood violence. The juxtaposition of pocket knives and a paper football suddenly worked far better than I wished, considering the presence of them both on the playground. This title is not programmatic, but rather representative of the juxtaposition of uncommon elements in a common realm.
Premiered October 18, 2003
The Delicato Ensemble
Auer Hall
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
Audio
Pocket Knives, Paper Football Mvt. 1
Pocket Knives, Paper Football Mvt. 2
Pocket Knives, Paper Football Mvt. 3
PDF Score excerpt