Date of Composition: original version 2014; rev. 2024

Duration: 12 Minutes

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Program Notes: Water Music for Flute, Clarinet in B-Flat, Violin ‘Cello, Percussion and Piano , Op. 30 was composed to be performed alongside American photographer, pioneer documentarian and avant-garde filmmaker Ralph Steiner’s 1929 silent short film H20, but also functions as an independent piece that can be performed without the film. Opening with spacious piano chords, whirlwind woodwind trills, atmospheric cello harmonics and subtle percussion timbres, a mood is immediately set of a gentle cascade of momentum. A brief surge of sound leads to a moment of tranquility before the flood gates open and the ostinato and melodic motives appear in a constantly changing rhythmic climate. After the tempestuous themes reach an anxious peak, a brief piano cadenza ushers in a maestoso section that reflects on the opening resonant harmonies and warms the musical climate to an andante espressivo. A pizzicato ‘cello, a ringing glockenspiel and rolling piano chords lead the way for a soaring and sentimental interpretation of the motivic figures from earlier, soon to be passed around through the entire ensemble and culminates into a subito adagio sostenuto. As the water muddies and thickens in Steiner’s film, the music does too. The rhythmic ostinato slowly begins to build as each instrument adds a new canonic layer in retrograde and contrary motion until it reaches its peak and quickly transitions back into the fast ostinato pattern with increasingly rhythmic ornamentations.  As the water in the film begins to reflect the light shining onto it, the music begins to reflect its shimmering and sparkling brilliance with bold rhythmic intensity in the instruments upper registers before plunging to the seabed and resurfacing for one last breath.

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Performance History:

-May 3rd, 2014; Classical Revolution; Silver Lake Lounge; Los Angeles, California – 6PM

-July 2nd, 2014; Music at MiMoDa – Paper or Plastik Cafe; West Los Angeles, California – 8PM

-February 28th, 2016; TEMPO New Music Ensemble; Nordhoff Hall, Cal State Northridge; Northridge, CA