|
Help keep the WRP alive by making a small donation. Visit here to find out more.
|
Undertow
Contents |
General Info
Year: 2008
Duration: c. 5:00
Difficulty: III (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: OstiMusic
Cost: Score and Parts - $120.00 | Score Only - $20.00
Instrumentation
Full Score
Piccolo
Flute I-II
Oboe I-II
Bassoon
Bb Soprano Clarinet I-II-III
Bb Bass Clarinet
Eb Contra-Alto Clarinet (optional)
Eb Alto Saxophone I-II
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone
Bb Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II
Trombone I-II-III
Euphonium
Tuba
Double Bass (optional)
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V-VI, including:
- Bass Drum
- Cymbals (china, splash, large suspended)
- Crotales
- Maracas (2)
- Marimba
- Tambourine
- Tam-tam
- Tom-toms (4)
- Vibes
- Xylophone
Errata
- The instrumentation page in the score indicates that there are two bassoon parts, but there is only one.
Program Notes
Though many of his pieces are extremely virtuosic, Undertow is the first of Mackey's works written specifically for intermediate band. It was commissioned by the Hill Country Middle School Band and premiered by that ensemble with its conductor, Cheryl Floyd, in May 2008. The work is significantly different than much of Mackey's output in terms of technical difficulty, but many characteristic elements of his writing are nonetheless present, including biting semitone dissonance within a tonal context, frequent use of mixed meter, heavy percussion effects and, perhaps most importantly to this work, a pervasive ostinato. The metric pattern for the piece is an alternation of 7/8 and 4/4 time, which provides an agitated "out-of-step" pulsation throughout. The energetic opening melody cycles through several repetitions before washing away into a gentle stream of percussive eighth notes. From here, a counter-melody emerges that slowly ratchets the energy back up to its original level, where the initial melody returns to round out the explosive conclusion.
-Program note by Jake Wallace
Commercial Discography
None discovered thus far.
Audio Links
State Ratings
- Texas: IV
Recent Performances
- Cuesta Wind Ensemble (Jennifer Martin, conductor) - 19 October 2011
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
Works for Winds by this Composer
- Asphalt Cocktail (2009)
- Aurora Awakes (2009)
- Clocking (2007)
- Concerto for Soprano Sax (2007)
- Drum Music: Concerto for Percussion (2011)
- Foundry (2011)
- The Frozen Cathedral (2012)
- Harvest: Concerto for Trombone (2009)
- High Wire (2012)
- Hymn to a Blue Hour (2010)
- Kingfishers Catch Fire (2007)
- Redline Tango (2004)
- Sasparilla (2005)
- Sheltering Sky (2012)
- Strange Humors (2006)
- Turbine (2006)
- Turning (2007)
- Undertow (2008)
- Xerxes (2010)
Additional Resources
