Score (44 pp.) + Parts (19 pp.)

Format: PDF

Duration: 12 min.

Catalogue No.: 030

Program Note

These three dances were composed in 2002 especially for the Sospiri Trio, who premiered the composition in January of 2003. I have admired their performances for years, and my goal was to create music which was worthy of their considerable talents. The first piece, Introduction and Cancan, makes use of three popular melodies of the 19th century and earlier: Pleasant and Delightful, Pirates Chorus, and Beautiful Dreamer. The second dance, Octatangos, uses Stravinsky’s concept of the Tango as its point of departure: all of the chords and melodies are derived from the octatonic scale of alternating whole and half steps. The third dance, Ragtime Reflections, was composed in April of 2002, and its first version was for flute, horn, and bassoon. With the exception of the quotes from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, the melodies of this piece (as well as the title) are all derived from the musical letters contained in the names of three musically talented sisters, Janet, Joyce, and Diane Fleck, who play the flute, bassoon, and horn, respectively. This newer version, with the addition of the piano, is comfortable in its wider dynamic and registral habitat. It goes without saying that all three of the In-Two-itive Dances are in duple meter (not counting the Introduction before the Cancan)!