Daniel Powers

Archive for June, 2009

Impulse, for woodwind quintet, was commissioned by the Indiana State University Faculty Wind Quintet with support from the Indiana State University Arts Endowment. It was composed between July 23 and August 30, 2000.

im·pulse n … 1 a : the act of driving onward with sudden force … 3 a : a sudden spontaneous inclination or incitement to some usu. unpremeditated action (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, 1977 edition)

My use of the word “Impulse” as the title for this woodwind quintet reflects both meanings cited above. On the one hand, I wanted to write a piece driven by rhythm, partly in an attempt to avoid the standard “woodwind quintet sound,” what Lukas Foss has described as “the obligatory pastorale.” The piece begins with an irregular pulsation on a cluster chord, gradually expanding in range, volume, and complexity. Lyricism is also present, and the middle section is about as pastoral in character as they come. But the predominant characteristic is jagged, asymmetrical rhythm, the tension heightened at times with harsh dissonance.

I received the commission for Impulse in mid-July 2000, with the unusual proviso that it be completed as quickly as possible so it could be included on planned concerts and an upcoming recording session for a new CD release. Given just over a month to complete a 10-minute work, I decided that I would have to alter my usual working procedure. I wrote in a way I tend to advise my students against, simply beginning at the beginning and writing without premeditation or planning, making the piece up as I went along. Writing impulsively, in other words. 

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Impluse was recorded by the Indiana State University Faculty Wind Quintet on the CD Collage for Winds.

My lovely wife, Martha, and I celebrated our 15th anniversary on October 17, 2007. According to whoever decides these things, the 15th anniversary is associated with crystal, so of course I was looking around for something of a crystalline nature for her anniversary gift.

The obvious thing, since we’re both wine lovers, was a set of wine glasses. Then something gave me the idea to write a special piece for her, based on glass sounds. As it happened, I had in my arsenal several collections of multisampled glass instruments, including Vienna Instruments’ “Glass and Stones” (now discontinued, so no link) and Bolder Sounds’ “Crystal Glasses and Meditation Bowls.”

So, late at night before our anniversary, I got to work. I wrote and recorded this piece in about three hours and played it for her at breakfast. And now I share it with you!

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2.2.2.2. / 4.2.3.1. / T +2 / strings
duration approx. 5 minutes
composed Summer 2005

Overture to the Season was commissioned by the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra as a season opener for the 2005/6 season, marking their 80th year of operation.

 The commission specified a time limit of five minutes, so I kept things simple. There is a slow introduction featuring a horn call, repeated by trumpets. A lively middle section follows, based on a more rhythmic theme first heard in the violins. The theme is repeated, building in volume and momentum. Finally the opening call is heard again, and the Overture comes to an exuberant conclusion.

Overture to the Season is dedicated to David Bowden.

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For solo piccolo and orchestra.
0.2.2.2. / 2.2.0.0. / T 2P / harp / strings
Duration approx 8 minutes.
Composed late 2007.

Concerto Piccolo was written for Kate Prouty, piccoloist with the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra, and was premiered in March 2008.

The piccolo is an instrument that rarely gets to display the full range of its qualities. It is almost always used as a brilliant high-register instrument, adding a touch of sparkle and sometimes shrillness to even the fullest orchestral tutti passages. Its more expressive capabilities are almost totally ignored, as is the uniquely pale tone color of its lower register. Given the opportunity to write a work featuring the piccolo as a solo instrument, I decided to make an effort to exploit all its capabilities, beginning with the less familiar ones. Accordingly, the work begins with an extended lyrical passage in the instruments low range. Of course, the brilliant high register is not neglected.

The work is not properly a concerto, being in only one relatively short movement divided into a slow and a fast section. Perhaps a more accurate title would have been Introduction and Allegro, or something like it. But I couldn’t resist the pun inherent in “Concerto Piccolo:” read one way, it implies a concerto for the piccolo, but literally translates to “small concerto.”

The recording below is taken from the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra’s premiere in March 2008, with Kate Prouty as soloist and David Bowden conducting.

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Let’s see…

Trio for clarinet, bassoon, and piano is still my main project. It’s turning out well, I think, but I don’t know why it’s going so slowly. Right now I’m maybe halfway through the first movement. Somewhere I have a few pages of sketches for the third movement, but nothing for the second movement yet. This is assuming, of course, that I stick to my plan of a three movement piece, which still seems likely.

Several other projects are underway as well, most of which are old projects that I’m editing for final release into the wild. Concerto Piccolo is about ready to go to print; I’ve finished editing all the wind and percussion parts, as well as the score. All that’s left are the string parts. I’m also editing Cloudscapes for flute octet. Not much needs to be done there, mostly just cleaning up the score and doing final layout on the parts.

Other projects are on hold for the moment, but I hope to get back to them soon. The song Strings in the Earth and Air for tenor, viola, and piano hasn’t been worked on for quite some time. The draft is mostly done, but the final copy is a low priority at the moment, since there aren’t any immediate prospects for performance. The piece for cello and virtual instruments (still untitled after all this time) is not exactly on hold, just not the highest priority just now. At this stage, I’m creating a full score in Finale, and will record the virtual parts in Sonar later. The scoring (subject to modification) will be for solo cello and glass armonica, accompanied by pizzicato strings and three synthesizers.

Coming up are some possible arranging gigs; more about these later, since they haven’t yet been finalized.