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4 Bb Clarinets
Commissioned by Gral Wind Orchestra Clarinet Section Premiered on December 19, 2010 Kanagawa State Ensemble Contes.
Red Impulse considers the variability of a puzzle being assembled with abstract sounds. The work values acoustics and space over the importance of melody and harmony. Red Impulse is simply an image, as I intended it to be an extremely abstract composition. The song progresses through the concept of energy evaporating and kinetically jumping between performers.
The initial sound core's tempi vacillate between time and space as the work evolves towards the more rhythmical and ritualistic. In the middle of the piece, as notes fly from one direction to another, performers choreograph the action. The players perform towards each other, watching and passing energy amongst the quartet. The point is that sound passes back and forth from right to left, creating a visual sound space. As it concludes, the work goes back to the same ritualistic scene, congealing and dispersing again.
The ensemble needs to focus on both visual and aural presentation, not only to perform with beauty and emotion, but to construct a spatial image by controlling sound as well as acoustic effects. This allows an abstract work to occur with natural, logical ease.
(Daisuke Ehara)
