Through Wind and Whispers

From Wind Repertory Project
Nicole Piunno

Nicole Piunno


General Info

Year: 2014
Duration: c. 13:50
Difficulty: V (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Murphy Music Press
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - $200.00   |   Score Only (print) - $80.00


Instrumentation

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

  • Bass Drum
  • Cabasa
  • Chimes
  • China Cymbals
  • Crash Cymbals
  • Field Drum
  • Glockenspiel
  • High Tom
  • Marimba
  • Sizzle Cymbal
  • Snare Drum
  • Suspended Cymbals, large, medium and small
  • Tambourine
  • Tam-Tam
  • Tom-Toms (3)
  • Vibraphone
  • Xylophone


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Through Wind and Whispers tells a story of transformation.

I often think of a person’s life as a story, a personal narrative. What if a person seeks new direction in his story? Can the course of a narrative change? Can it turn from one of defeat to one of joy? Can beauty emerge from the ashes of affliction?

Imagine a melody that represents the power to ignite change. Can that melody turn a story of despair into a story of hope?

The piece begins with a somber musical theme: the original story. This theme is gradually transformed into something new and brighter: a fully redeemed theme. The original, somber theme is first heard in the English horn and later in other solo instruments throughout the work. In its original state, this theme is dark and harmonically dissonant. It can be heard as a motive that strives to turn into a flowing melody, but fails to do so on its own. The transformation of this dark theme into a more flowing and brighter one happens through the power of an outside influence. I call this outside influence the “melody of grace.”

Sometimes the melody of grace is a gentle whisper while at other times it shows up in the work as a powerful force. Slowly, parts of this melody appear as specks of light within the environment of the original, dark theme. Eventually, both this dark theme and melody of grace collide as the woodwinds play flourishes from the former theme, while the low brass play the powerful and sustained grace melody below them. With help from the snare drum, the sustained melody played in the low brass drives away the dissonant woodwind flourishes and leaves only the melody of grace, which is played as a chorale. Following the chorale, continued transformation of the original theme is heard in various solos until the English horn is heard again, this time together with the oboe playing a transformed version of the original dark theme. The original theme, which was once dissonant against the melody of grace, has been fully transformed and now reflects the outside melody that molded it.

The piece ends with praise. Defining characteristics from the original theme, such as the use of 6/8 meter and dissonant woodwind flourishes, return throughout this final section, this time in a brighter context, as though enjoying a state of redemption. The melody of grace now appears in 6/8 meter and statements of this melody by the low brass are heard juxtaposed against consonant versions of the woodwind flourishes. There is one last reiteration of the transformed theme and a final whisper of the melody of grace.

- Program Note by composer


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project


Works for Winds by This Composer

Adaptable Music


All Wind Works


Resources

Retrieved from "https://www.windrep.org/index.php?title=Through_Wind_and_Whispers&oldid=358684"