Ballistic
Etude 3.0
Commissioned
under the auspices of the First University of Michigan Band Commission
Prize and premiered under the direction of H. Robert Reynolds
Awarded 'Prix
Henri Selmer Paris' in Coups de Vents' International Composition
Competition for Wind Ensemble
Featured by the Bayor University Wind Ensemble at the 2009 CBDNA
National Conference under the direction of Eric Wilson
Having
scoured the mean streets and back alleys of this godforsaken part of
town, our hero stumbles on the hideout of the underworld kingpin
responsible for kidnapping his gal. His aim: negotiate her
release, hopefully without incident. He walks in. Impressed
by his moxie, the mob-boss ultimately relents, but only under certain
conditions: the man must walk out, unarmed, with his girlfriend
following at a distance. Under no circumstances is he to turn
back until he leaves the gang's turf.
It is at this
point that our story begins—with the fatal error. Sensing a
setup, our hero panics and grabs the girl’s arm in what will prove a
doomed attempt to flee on his own terms. Stunned, the mob pursues
the pair through the nooks and crannies of this dank quarter. At
intervals the fugitives stop to catch their breath only to be spotted
again, and the chase is back on. Eventually the band of thugs
gains ground on the frantic, exhausted couple, overtakes them and
exacts a horrible vengeance.
The music of
Ballistic Etude 3.0 is cast in the form and style of the caccia (It.) or chace (Fr.), 14th century genres
commonly associated with the hunt. Its texture is predominantly
lean and sparse, and the ritornelli that announce and later punctuate
the movement are particularly athletic—all quick-twitch and heart
palpitations.
Though the work
is most clearly “ballistic” in the sense of going ballistic and in describing
the demands it makes of the ensemble, it also represents a study of
flight—of bodies in motion and of escape—as well as an exploration of
myth and film noir. Interestingly, the term has its roots in the
Greek word diaballein (to throw across, to hurl, to slander) and the
associated diabolus (in musica) familiar to musicians in general and
composers in particular.
The work is
dedicated to the memory of composer William Albright, a gifted, orphic
figure pursued by his own demons.
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