Crazy Sightreading Piece from Imani Winds

Howdy howdy,

While I was at the Imani Winds Festival, all composers were given a reading session with Imani Winds. I wrote a piece for sax quartet for the festival, so I needed to write a new piece for Imani to read in this session. I got crazy writer's block and had no idea what to write at all for the 3 weeks leading up to it. It took until I heard Imani Winds play a few concerts in person to realize I could really go all out and decide I was just going to use this reading to write some crazy sampler (rather than try and make it a full-fledged work that they could sightread and give a good recording of). 

So, I wrote this thing in 2 days. It is very unpolished and everything could be fleshed out and have better transitions. However, I am really happy I chose to make it this way because I got some crazy ideas onto the paper with cracked musicians to play it all. Now I have something I can use in proposals to show my composing when I do not have to consider playability into the mix. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this cool little thing.

Hey @Eickso,

It's amazing that you write this in 2 days!

I always enjoy your polyrhythm and apparent repetitiveness.In b.12 there's a lovely yelling effect! That clarinet (your instrument( in its highest register is the loudest and most notable instrument ever, like the Chinese Suona (even though this is a double reed instrument like the oboe)). For me it's very wise for you to get back to your most familiar instrument during your writer's block, and the effect here is very humourous and farcical.

1 hour ago, Eickso said:

So, I wrote this thing in 2 days. It is very unpolished and everything could be fleshed out and have better transitions. However, I am really happy I chose to make it this way because I got some crazy ideas onto the paper with crazy musicians to play it all. Now I have something I can use in proposals to show my composing when I do not have to consider playability into the mix. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy this cool little thing.

You should be very happy for this! Of course if you have more time, you can have better transitions, and probably focus less on the clarinet when it's featured almost exclusively in the later half of the piece after b.12, and add more significance to other instruments. But to use only 2 days for this kind of composition is already great enough achievement. I enjoy this spicy little thing!

Thx for sharing!

Henry

It seems to me a very good work that explores and exploits these novel techniques (or not so much anymore, but complex to handle, especially in an ensemble of instruments).