Organism

Flute and Clarinet
or
Flute and Soprano Saxophone
or
Clarinet and String Quartet

Approx. 7 minutes

2010

Sometimes a piece title doesn’t come to me until after the entire composition is finished. In fact, with Organism, it came several days later. There is no program or story being told with this piece, but I always felt there was a kind of living, organic feel to the music. It took me an embarrassingly long couple of days to get from “organic” to “organism,” but once I was there I knew it was right. I always felt this score had its own personality, and a life of its own.

Organism was not mapped out in advance, which is something I occasionally do when I have an idea I like and want to let the music grow wherever it takes me. It’s a fun, and slightly irresponsible way to compose. One of the great features of both the clarinet and flute (the original duo instrumentation for this work) are their ability for great subtlety, control and intricate dynamic shading. In this case the undulating opening section was designed to highlight the instruments’ dynamic control in their higher ranges. This became a kind of central theme that is always slightly different each time it comes back. The faster sections with more rhythmical complexity should be fun, and take full advantage of the inherently agile nature of these instruments.

If the instrumentation of this work isn’t quite what you are looking for, let’s discuss the creation of a new version of this work that will meet your needs. You may be surprised at how easy this is to do. Contact me at [email protected]

Recording