PROGRAM NOTES

The term alluvion means the flow of water against a shore or a bank. The immediate mental image this conjures is the back and forth of rolling waves. This concept of action-reaction is the driving force behind the piece. There is a constant dialogue between the two instruments in which they must propel and resonate each other if they are to do so at all. This image plays out in the first half of the piece in its most serene setting, utilizing a variety of subtle timbral shifts and extended performance techniques to create the motion. The second half, however, focuses more on the driving power of a river, often invoked by heavy rain. This initially sporadic gesture builds and builds into a dynamic swirl of energy, only to dissipate once again.

Composition Details

Completed in 2011 and premiered on December 3rd, 2011 by Benjamin Peck and Ryan Romine at Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, VA.

Instrumentation

Two Bassoons

Duration

~8 minutes