Score (pdf) 156 KB	Audio (mp3) 5.13 MB

 

Program Notes

The Road and its Unfoldings, a through-composed work in one movement, contains mostly slow music. Most of the melodic material comes from a piece for flute and piano that I wrote several years ago (Dawn Treader). I’m normally not a self-indulging composer, but this old material works well when “dressed in new clothes,” and it creates new and intriguing musical situations.
x
The most unique of these is melody accompanied by tremolo (the oscillation between two notes that are, in this case, a minor third apart). A tremolo’s most interesting qualities are its lack of tempo and rhythm. The idea of combining this with another part in duet was very inspirational – when that other part is melodic, listeners perceive the illusion of triadic harmony, played by only two instruments. This situation also permits a generous rubato (the expressive pushing and pulling of tempo) in the melodic part, free from coordinating with the rhythm-less, tempo-less accompaniment.
x
While the slow music is about melody and accompaniment, the fast must is about teamwork, as both players now have parts of the same musical material. The work’s fast music presents a short motive (C – E-flat – B natural), in contrast to the long, melodic phrases of the opening. This contrapuntal episode begins and ends with much tension, as it prepares for the return and development of the slow music.
x
The title has no programmatic significance. Instead, it evokes memories of a personal journey through life, one that is the result of a myriad of choices. Often, the reasons for life’s choices are revealed far after the fact, and in accepting them, our understanding begins to unfold. And the road goes on and on…

The Road and its Unfoldings was commissioned by Jamie Lipton and Tama Kott.