Quicksilver

From Wind Repertory Project
Stacy Garrop

Stacy Garrop


General Info

Year: 2017
Duration: c. 23:45
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Theodore Presser
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - Rental   |   Score Only (print) - $54.99


Movements

1. Antics of a Newborn God - 8:10
2. Guiding Souls to the Underworld - 7:05
3. Messenger of Olympus - 7:50


Instrumentation

Full Score
C Piccolo
Flute I-II-III-Iv
Oboe I-II
English Horn
Bassoon I-II
Contrabassoon
B-flat Soprano Clarinet I-II-III-IV-V
B-flat Bass Clarinet
B-flat Contrabass Clarinet
Solo Alto Saxophone
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-III-IV
Trombone I-II
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba I-II
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV, including:

  • Bass Drum
  • Bongos (2)
  • Brake Drum
  • Claves
  • Congas (2)
  • Cowbell
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Crotales
  • Egg Shaker
  • Glockenspiel
  • Gong, small
  • Hi-Hat
  • Marimba
  • Quica
  • Suspended Cymbal
  • Tam-Tam, large
  • Temple Blocks (4 pitches)
  • Tenor Drum
  • Tom-Toms (2)
  • Triangle
  • Tubular Bells
  • Vibraphone
  • Vibra-slap
  • Whip
  • Wood Block, small


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Of Quicksilver, Garrop writes:

In addition to being another name for the element mercury, “quicksilver” is used to describe something that changes quickly or is difficult to contain. My concerto of the same name was inspired by the Roman god Mercury, as well as the mercurial nature of the saxophone: unpredictable, very lively, and volatile. Mercury (known as Hermes in Greek mythology) is best known for his winged shoes, which allowed him to fly swiftly as the messenger of his fellow Olympians. Mercury had other duties too, including serving as the god of merchants, travelers, and tricksters; he also ushered souls of the departed to the Underworld.

Quicksilver tells three tales of the Roman god. The first movement (Antics of a Newborn God) opens with the birth of Mercury; after he takes his first steps, he toddles around, gleefully looking for mischief. He stumbles across a herd of cows that belong to his brother Apollo; Mercury slyly lets the cows out of their pen before toddling onward with his mischief-making. In the second movement (Guiding Souls to the Underworld), Pluto, god of the Underworld, bids Mercury to bring him fresh souls. The movement begins with death-knells tolling for humans who are about to die; Mercury picks up these souls and leads them down to the gates of the Underworld.

The third and final movement (Messenger of Olympus) depicts Mercury as he is busily running errands for various gods and goddesses. We first encounter him mid-flight as he dashes to Earth to find Aeneas, a Trojan lieutenant who had been run out of Troy by the invading Greeks. Aeneas is on a quest to find land on which to establish a new city that would eventually become Rome. While traveling, he is distracted from his quest when he meets the beautiful queen Dido. They live together for many years before Mercury intervenes; he chastises Aeneas for giving up on his quest and persuades him to pick it up again. As Aeneas mournfully resumes his journey, we hear Dido perish of a broken heart. Mercury then takes to the skies to seek out Perseus, who is preparing to kill the Medusa, the hideous gorgon who has snakes for hair and a gaze that turns those who catch her glance into stone. Mercury advises Perseus on how to slay Medusa and lends Perseus his sword to do the deed. We hear Perseus victorious in the beheading of Medusa, after which Mercury takes to the skies once more to fly home to Olympus.

- Program Note by composer


Media

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


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • University of Maryland (College Park) Wind Ensemble (Andrea Brown, conductor) - 8 December 2021
  • The Crane Wind Ensemble (Potsdam, N.Y.) (Brian Doyle, conductor; Casey Grev, alto saxophone) – 22 February 2020 (CBDNA 2020 Eastern Division Conference, Philadelphia, Penn.)
  • University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Wind Ensemble (Kevin M. Geraldi, conductor; Steven Stusek, alto saxophone) – 21 February 2020
  • University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Wind Ensemble (Anthony Falcone, conductor; Paul Haar, alto saxophone) – 22 April 2019
  • Appalachian State University (Boone, N.C.) Wind Ensemble (John Stanley Ross, conductor) – 15 February 2019
  • Butler University (Indianapolis, Ind.) Wind Ensemble (Michael J. Colburn, conductor; Heidi Radtke, alto saxophone) – 26 April 2018
  • University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) Wind Ensemble (Kenneth Ozzello, conductor) – 22 March 2018
  • State University of New York, Potsdam, Crane Wind Ensemble (Brian K. Doyle, conductor; Casey Grev, alto saxophone) – 18 October 2017 *Premiere Performance*


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources

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