Schism

David Biedenbender

General Info

Year: 2010 / 2015
Duration: c. 5:20
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Chamber orchestra
Publisher: Murphy Music Press
Cost: Score and Parts - $175.00

Instrumentation

Full Score
Flute
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Soprano Saxophone
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet
Horn in F
Trombone
Bass Trombone
String Bass
Piano
Percussion I-II, including:

Drum Set
Marimba
Vibraphone

Errata

None discovered thus far.

Program Notes

Schism is about divisions. I wrote Schism in 2010 in the midst of the turbulent national mid-term elections, a time that, in the context of more recent political turmoil, actually seems quite tame. I was overwhelmingly frustrated by the sophomoric mud-slinging and ridiculous lies being told by many politicians and the variously allied media, but I was also somewhat amused by what was nothing short of a nationwide "goat rodeo" [slang term for a chaotic situation, often one that involves several people, each with a different agenda/vision/perception of what’s going on; a situation that is very difficult, despite energy and efforts, in which to instill any sense or order].

Much of the musical material is transcribed almost note for note from an improvisation I played on the piano and recorded in the early stages of sketching the piece. I remember being interested in combining the pointillism of Anton Webern’s music with a bluesy rock groove, so much of the piece is based on a single, simple, eighth-note-based, divided melodic line that jumps around the piano in very large leaps. I think of the musical affect as similar to the compound melodies in J.S. Bach’s Unaccompanied Cello Suites, where a single melodic line is perceptually transformed through large leaps into multiple voices, though in the end I used the ensemble to actually hold out the notes the piano could not to add color, character, and attitude to the independent voices. I also wanted to play with the notion of groove by dividing it in unusual and unexpected ways, almost like running a few of the licks and grooves through a meat grinder.

Schism was originally written for the chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound. This version for winds and percussion was commissioned by a consortium of ensembles led by Robert Carnochan and the University of Texas at Austin Wind Symphony as well as Michael Haithcock, University of Michigan; Chris Knighten, University of Arkansas; and Steven D. Davis, University of Missouri–Kansas City Conservatory of Music.

- Program Note by composer

Media

Audio: Reference recording. Ensemble and conductor unknown

State Ratings

None discovered thus far.

Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Symphony Band (JoAnn Wieszczyk, conductor) - 12 March 2021
University of Oklahoma (Norman) Wind Symphony (Dan Harbaugh, conductor) – 25 February 2019
Michigan State University (East Lansing) Symphony Band (Hunter Kopczynski, conductor) – 22 April 2018
Baylor University (Waco, Tx.) Symphonic Band (Isaiah Odajima, conductor) – 21 March 2018 (CBDNA 2018 Southwestern Conference, Houston, Texas)
University of Massachusetts at Amherst Wind Ensemble (Matthew Westgate, conductor) – 10 March 2018 (CBDNA 2018 Eastern Conference, New Haven, Conn.)
Baylor University (Waco, Texas) Symphonic Band (Isaiah Odajima, conductor) – 2 February 2018
University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) Concert Band (Courtney Snyder, conductor) – 4 October 2017
State University of New York, Potsdam, Crane Wind Ensemble (Brian K. Doyle, conductor) – 21 October 2016
University of Oregon (Eugene) Wind Ensemble (Rodney Dorsey, conductor) – 9 March 2016
University of Texas Wind Symphony (Jerry Junkin, conductor) – 7 April 2015

Works for Winds by This Composer

Resources

David Biedenbender website
Silvey, Brian A. "Schism for Winds and Percussion." In Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Volume 11, Compiled and edited by Richard Miles, 625-632. Chicago: GIA Publications, 2018.