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Black Cat, The

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Randall Standridge

Randall Standridge


General Info

Year: 2021
Duration: c. 1:55
Difficulty: I-1/2 (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Randall Standridge Music
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $55.00; (digital) - $55.00   |   Score Only (print) - $8.00


Instrumentation

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

  • Bass Drum
  • Cowbell
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Ride Cymbal
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Wind Chimes

Playalong tracks


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

I am a VERY superstitious person. I knock on wood. I throw a pinch of salt over my shoulder. I avoid breaking mirrors, walking under ladders, and I cling to a four leaf clover as if it were a ward against all evil.

However, I do NOT feel this way about black cats. While it is true that I am primarily a dog person, I have always loved cats, but I have also discovered you have to love dogs and cats for completely different reasons. In general, dogs are so loyal, so agreeable, so eager to please, and always so happy to see you.

But not cats. Cats are different.

I have three cats right now: Mask (she is moody, mistrustful, and bossy), Chatty (he is sweet natured, docile, and talkative), and Scotty (he is playful, mischievous, and curious). This trio of felines are great companions and usually hang out in my office while I’m working, judging every note I write, crawling across my desk at inopportune moments, sitting on my shoulder at times, and generally causing mayhem ... and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The idea for The Black Cat was born on a Friday 13th (August 13th, 2021, to be exact). I was musing on the “bad luck” that the day was supposed to bring and had just begun working on a new piece when Scotty (orange, not black) got tangled in some cables and unplugged my computer, making me lose the new file. Bad luck indeed. After I had chased him out of my office, I restarted my computer and wrote a 13-note theme which became the basis for this work.

The Black Cat uses a 13-note theme to depict the “bad luck” that such creatures are supposed to portend. The piece uses staccato notes and chromaticism to illustrate their sneaky nature, and to create a more eerie and ominous atmosphere. Cat yowls and hissing may be heard at moments, as well as the way that cats’ temperaments may change like the weather. For the style, I owe a huge debt to two composers I admire: Edvard Grieg (In the Hall of the Mountain King) and Danny Elfman (Beetlejuice, The Nightmare Before Christmas).

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

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Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


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Resources

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