Toy Chest (2015)
Instrumentation: horn, violin, piano
Duration: 2 minutes
arr. flute, clarinet, piano
- Selected for the 2015 Red Hedgehog Trio Call for Scores
Toy Chest is a part of the chamber music album 10 X 10 by the Red Hedgehog Trio, a group of young, innovative Boston-based musicians. The album features miniature horn trios by 10 different composers across the globe. Learn more at: www.redhedgehogtrio.wordpress.com
Program Note:
The composition of Toy Chest grew from a vivid image of a child discovering a toy chest filled with hundreds of sparkling, glittering, metallic toys. In the chest, each toy calls out to be played with, but the child’s attention rapidly moves from toy to toy as new, more brilliant toys are discovered, causing each toy to eventually lose its luster. The discovery of toys is found in the opening gesture, the foundation of Toy Chest. The opening gesture’s rise announces the discovery of a new toy and the following tumble depicts the child’s loss of interest. The use of augmented and whole-tone sonorities, especially in the upper register of the piano, portrays the shine of the toys. In the last few seconds, the child finally spies the shiniest toy at the bottom of the chest, creating one last moment of childhood excitement, curiosity, wonder, and mischief.
The composition of Toy Chest grew from a vivid image of a child discovering a toy chest filled with hundreds of sparkling, glittering, metallic toys. In the chest, each toy calls out to be played with, but the child’s attention rapidly moves from toy to toy as new, more brilliant toys are discovered, causing each toy to eventually lose its luster. The discovery of toys is found in the opening gesture, the foundation of Toy Chest. The opening gesture’s rise announces the discovery of a new toy and the following tumble depicts the child’s loss of interest. The use of augmented and whole-tone sonorities, especially in the upper register of the piano, portrays the shine of the toys. In the last few seconds, the child finally spies the shiniest toy at the bottom of the chest, creating one last moment of childhood excitement, curiosity, wonder, and mischief.