And then the Universe exploded

From Wind Repertory Project
Olivia Kieffer

Olivia Kieffer


N.B. The title of this work is correctly written in lower case with ellipsis: ...and then the Universe exploded.


General Info

Year: 2017 / 2021
Duration: c. 5:00
Difficulty: IV (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Murphy Music Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $200.00; (digital) - $150.00   |   Score Only (print) - $25.00;


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo/Flute I
Flute II
Oboe I
Bassoon
E-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Bells
  • Bongos
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Kick Drum
  • Marimba
  • Sleigh Bells
  • Snare Drum
  • Tam-Tam
  • Triangles (large and small)
  • Vibraphone
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

...and then the Universe exploded is a wild and joyful piece for concert band. It was written for and dedicated to the Reinhardt Symphonic Winds, and was premiered by the ensemble on April 11, 2017. The beginning source material comes from an unrealized concept album I started back when I was writing electronic beat music, called Everything Everything All of the Time. This feeling of everything seeming to happen at once, and all the time, has not disappeared in my life; I am no stranger to fairly continuous life changes. In the first section of the piece, the musicians build layers of joy upon each other. The second section features a (very polite but bombastic) Battle of the Bands, which abruptly segues into the entire ensemble shouting a Countdown to the End of the World. In its essence, this piece is about the End of Everything. We often think of the end of things as a loss, or bittersweet at best. But sometimes, the very end is the most beautiful.

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • University of California Davis Campus Band (Garrett Rigsby, conductor) - 8 March 2023
  • Horseheads High School (N.Y.) Band (Colling Smith, conductor) - 3 November 2022
  • Rowan University (Glassboro, N.J.) Wind Ensemble (Megan Cooney, conductor) - 13 October 2022
  • University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire Symphony Band (Phillip A. Ostrander, conductor) - 4 May 2022
  • California State University, Stanislaus, Wind Ensemble (Stuart Sims, conductor) - 7 December 2021
  • Nicholls State University (Thibodaux, La.) Wind Ensemble (Jason Ladd, conductor) - 4 November 2021
  • Queensland Wind Orchestra (Bowen Hills, Australia) (David Law, conductor) - 26 June 2021
  • Texas Lutheran University (Seguin) Bands (Beth Bronk, conductor) - 25 April 2021
  • Mendota (Ill.) High School Band (Kyle Amati, conductor) - 16 February 2020
  • Youth Wind Ensemble of Springfield (Mass.) (Chris Moehringer, conductor) - 14 December 2019
  • Castleton (Vt.) University Wind Ensemble (Joshua Thompson, conductor) – 10 December 2019
  • Golden Isles Community Band (Brunswick, GA) (Noah Madison, conductor) - 14 November 2019
  • Rhodes College Wind Ensemble (Memphis, Tenn.) (Evan Williams, conductor) - 27 October 2019
  • San Jose State (Calif.) University Honors Wind Symphony (Craig McKenzie, conductor) - 22 September 2019
  • Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge) Symphonic Winds (Nick Doshier, conductor) – 20 November 2018
  • Xavier High School Wind Ensemble (Appleton, Wisc.) (Phillip Dobernig, conductor) - 16 May 2018
  • San Jose (Calif.) State University Wind Ensemble (David Vickerman, conductor) - 10 May 2018
  • Hopkins Westward Concert Band (Edina, Minn.) (Mike Anderson, conductor) - 4 March 2018
  • Reinhardt University Symphonic Winds (Waleska, Ga.) (Olivia Kieffer, conductor) - 11 April 2017 *Premiere performance*


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

  • The Horizon Leans Forward…, compiled and edited by Erik Kar Jun Leung, GIA Publications, 2021, p. 374.
  • Olivia Kieffer, personal correspondence, May 2018
  • Olivia Kieffer website Accessed 24 May 2018
  • Perusal score