Playtime (2018)
Instrumentation: horn, violin, piano
Duration: 14 minutes
arr. horn, flute, piano
Commissioned by the Neiner Trio Consortium
Duration: 14 minutes
arr. horn, flute, piano
Commissioned by the Neiner Trio Consortium
Program Note:
Playtime is a set of five short movements that depict childhood excitement, curiosity, and mischief. The opening movement, Toy Chest, grew from a vivid image of a child discovering a chest filled with hundreds of sparkling metallic toys. The child’s attention rapidly moves from toy to toy as new, more brilliant toys are discovered. Originally conceived as an individual miniature, Toy Chest was composed in 2015 for the Boston-based chamber ensemble Red Hedgehog Trio. The following movements were composed from fall 2017 to winter 2018 to create a multi-movement work.
Connect the Dots, the second movement, takes its name from the classic puzzle game where a series of dots are connected sequentially by lines to reveal a larger image. Like the game, the music begins with dots, isolated staccato notes in the piano that are threaded together by melodic lines in the violin and horn. As the dots and lines increase in number, the music grows active, fizzy, and agitated. Following a climax of intense punctuations, the movement recedes to the quietness of the opening, but no longer with dots or lines, instead the larger image, a long lingering melody in the piano.
In March of the Sandcastle Soldiers I imagined a child at the beach pretending to be a captain. After completing a magnificent sandcastle the child summons an army of make-believe soldiers to defend the structure. Though the imaginary soldiers do their best to defend the captain’s sandcastle they ultimately succumb to oncoming waves and are washed out to sea.
The final two movements portray games I always loved playing as a child. In Hide and Seek the seeker grows frustrated as all the suspected hiding places are found empty. However the hider is eventually caught, as often, in the least-expected place. The finale Tag! You’re it is a lively dance where the instrumentalists engage in a perpetual chase. After a brief, calmer interlude, the music catapults back into action, dashing to a wild, vigorous conclusion.
Acknowledgement:
The composition of this work was made possible by the financial support and encouragement of the members of the Neiner Horn Trio Consortium. I am indebted to them for their commitment to new music.
Jeff Nelsen: Indiana University
Dale Clevenger: Indiana University
Richard Seraphinoff: Indiana University
Brian Kilp: Indiana State University
Peter Kurau: Eastman School of Music
Ellen Dinwiddie Smith: University of Minnesota
Alexander Shuhan: Ithaca College
Dr. Sarah Schmalenberger: University of St. Thomas
Gene Berger: Ball State University
Dr. Deanna Carpenter: Minot State University
Melissa Morey: Gustavus Adolphus College
Dr. Nicholas Kenney and Dr. Sophia Han: Southeast Missouri State University
Janis Liebermann and the Sierra Ensemble
Katelyn J. Halbert: University of Iowa (Graduate Assistant, DMA)
Layne Anspach: Indiana University (Graduate Assistant, DMA)
Eleni Georgiadis: University of Cincinnati (Graduate Assistant, MM)
Mélange à Trois Horn Trio
I wish to further acknowledge these musicians who assisted my composing by offering critical feedback and/or participating in musical readings of sketches and rough drafts.
Dr. P. Q. Phan
Sven-David Sandström
Yeajin Kim
Olivier Heubscher
Khelsey Zarraga
Nathan Goldin
Heyue Zhang
Playtime is a set of five short movements that depict childhood excitement, curiosity, and mischief. The opening movement, Toy Chest, grew from a vivid image of a child discovering a chest filled with hundreds of sparkling metallic toys. The child’s attention rapidly moves from toy to toy as new, more brilliant toys are discovered. Originally conceived as an individual miniature, Toy Chest was composed in 2015 for the Boston-based chamber ensemble Red Hedgehog Trio. The following movements were composed from fall 2017 to winter 2018 to create a multi-movement work.
Connect the Dots, the second movement, takes its name from the classic puzzle game where a series of dots are connected sequentially by lines to reveal a larger image. Like the game, the music begins with dots, isolated staccato notes in the piano that are threaded together by melodic lines in the violin and horn. As the dots and lines increase in number, the music grows active, fizzy, and agitated. Following a climax of intense punctuations, the movement recedes to the quietness of the opening, but no longer with dots or lines, instead the larger image, a long lingering melody in the piano.
In March of the Sandcastle Soldiers I imagined a child at the beach pretending to be a captain. After completing a magnificent sandcastle the child summons an army of make-believe soldiers to defend the structure. Though the imaginary soldiers do their best to defend the captain’s sandcastle they ultimately succumb to oncoming waves and are washed out to sea.
The final two movements portray games I always loved playing as a child. In Hide and Seek the seeker grows frustrated as all the suspected hiding places are found empty. However the hider is eventually caught, as often, in the least-expected place. The finale Tag! You’re it is a lively dance where the instrumentalists engage in a perpetual chase. After a brief, calmer interlude, the music catapults back into action, dashing to a wild, vigorous conclusion.
Acknowledgement:
The composition of this work was made possible by the financial support and encouragement of the members of the Neiner Horn Trio Consortium. I am indebted to them for their commitment to new music.
Jeff Nelsen: Indiana University
Dale Clevenger: Indiana University
Richard Seraphinoff: Indiana University
Brian Kilp: Indiana State University
Peter Kurau: Eastman School of Music
Ellen Dinwiddie Smith: University of Minnesota
Alexander Shuhan: Ithaca College
Dr. Sarah Schmalenberger: University of St. Thomas
Gene Berger: Ball State University
Dr. Deanna Carpenter: Minot State University
Melissa Morey: Gustavus Adolphus College
Dr. Nicholas Kenney and Dr. Sophia Han: Southeast Missouri State University
Janis Liebermann and the Sierra Ensemble
Katelyn J. Halbert: University of Iowa (Graduate Assistant, DMA)
Layne Anspach: Indiana University (Graduate Assistant, DMA)
Eleni Georgiadis: University of Cincinnati (Graduate Assistant, MM)
Mélange à Trois Horn Trio
I wish to further acknowledge these musicians who assisted my composing by offering critical feedback and/or participating in musical readings of sketches and rough drafts.
Dr. P. Q. Phan
Sven-David Sandström
Yeajin Kim
Olivier Heubscher
Khelsey Zarraga
Nathan Goldin
Heyue Zhang