Sextet for Woodwinds and Brass
Composer: Brian Conaway
Major/Class: Undecided/Sophomore
Hometown: Unionville, Pennsylvania
Genre: Sextet for Woodwinds and Brass: Trumpet (David Jemison),
Oboe (Lindsay Corliss), Bassoon (Sarah Robinson), French Horn (Sabrina Rissing),
Trombone (Christie Kilby) and Clarinet (Brian Conaway).
The piece, set for clarinet, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, and trombone,
begins with a series of murky sonorities that give way to a lyrical passage that
plays itself out before fading away into nothingness. The clarinet carries the
initial melody, and its plaintive lines are set against a cushion of low
register sound from the other instruments and some contrapuntal passages from
the oboe. As the clarinet completes its melody the other instruments drop out,
leaving it to finish in soft solitude.
At this point, the piece slowly begins to intensify in tempo, texture,
dynamics, and rhythmic energy. The instruments reenter, beginning with the
bassoon, and a number of interconnected melodic fragments (some of which
resemble parts of the opening clarinet melody) pass between them. The piece also
becomes more chromatic in its tonal palate and continues to accumulate energy as
the brass instruments become more prominent. Eventually the ensemble reaches a C
major chord, which appears to be a point of arrival. However, the sense of tonal
stability is not maintained, and the instruments lapse back into chromaticism
until they once again arrive at C major. This time, the music retains its sense
of key throughout the final brief, triumphant passage.
****************************************************************************
Main
Composition Page