Hidden Currents

From Wind Repertory Project
Katherine Bergman

Katherine Bergman


Subtitle: For Solo Oboe and Wind Ensemble


General Info

Year: 2020
Duration: c. 11:20
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Original Medium: Oboe and harp
Publisher: Katherine Bergman
Cost: Score and Parts - Available 2022


Movements (played without pause)

1. Beneath - 4:05
2. January Thaw - 3:08
3. Between Bluffs - 4:50


Instrumentation

Full Score
Solo Flute
Solo Alto Saxophone
Flute I-II
Oboe
Bassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II
B-flat Bass Clarinet
E-flat Alto Saxophone
B-flat Tenor Saxophone
B-flat Trumpet I-II
Horn in F I-II
Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Timpani
Percussion I-II, including:

  • Crotales
  • Glockenspiel
  • Marimba
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Triangle


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Hidden Currents takes inspiration from the northernmost stretch of the Mississippi River during winter. The river's character changes frequently throughout the season and it take on new traits as the water flows through varied landscapes. Hidden Currents depicts three distinct winter river scenes, performed without pause and connected as one.

The first movement, Beneath, begins with a glimpse of bright white snow cover, sparkling in the sunlight and concealing the river below. Then, diving below the ice, a meandering current drifts along the rocky riverbed where aquatic life carries on despite the frigid stillness above. The middle movement, January Thaw, takes place that the convergence of one of the Mississippi's tributaries during a midwinter warm stream. The converging currents and mild temperatures shift, bend and unhinge the river's ice cover for a fleeting glance at spring. Trumpeter swans, goldeneyes, and other waterfowl flock to the sliver of open water, while slushy blocks of ice break loose, drift away, and reattach to the next sheet of ice downstream. The final movement, Between Bluffs, pays homage to the river landscape along the southern Minnesota/Wisconsin border, which continues south into Iowa and Illinois. Ice cover creates a temporary bridge between bordering states, lined by towering bluffs on either side. Standing high atop the bluffs, with eagles soaring past at eye level, the view commands an appreciation of the enduring life force of the mighty Mississippi.

- Program Note by composer


Originally composed for oboe and harp (commissioned by Susan Miranda), Hidden Currents was adapted for solo oboe and wind ensemble thanks to a consortium led by Dr. Onsby C. Rose and the Dordt University Wind Symphony.

- Program Note from score


Media

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

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Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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