warped parallel landscapes

By the nature of working on two pieces side-by-side, it naturally came about that this piece, warped parallel landscapes, would serve as a sort of foil to my recently completed work, Polyhedral. Both were set for mid- to large-sized ensembles, and inherently offered an array of timbral combinations which would naturally steer each piece. While Polyhedral takes a sort of perpetuum mobile and unpacks it calculatingly or even mechanically, warped linear landscapes instead ebbs through musical motives and harmonies with persistent organicism and larger gestures.

As another contrasting characteristic, the form of warped parallel landscapes is fundamentally “through-lined” - that is, the music stays altered after its development. While this is how the piece can be understood formally, the more audible process of the piece is the dialogue of very contrasting layers (perhaps “landscapes”) which seem to bend and deform one another, almost as if caused by their proximity and sheer contrast alone.

This piece was graciously composed for and dedicated to the Old Bay New Music Ensemble under the direction of Juliano Aniceto. The ensemble (OBNM), in its second concert season at the time of this piece’s composition, serves as a juggernaut of new music performance in the Baltimore area, specifically highlighting the works of Peabody composers. As a highly sought-after group to have a work performed by, it is with my utmost gratitude to Maestro Aniceto and Dr. Felipe Lara that warped parallel landscapes has been included in such a formative concert for OBNM.

Performance Time: 4’30”

Scored for : flute, oboe, clarinet (Bb), bassoon, horn, trumpet (C), harp, piano, 2 violins, viola, ‘cello, and double bass