The composer writes...
Austrian-American Tales is a woodwind quintet
that reflects my experience living as an expatriate in Vienna, where it was
written in 2012. The first movement, Tales from the Blue Vienna Woods,
combines 18th century classical form with romantic Austro-German harmony.
Vienna’s forested hills inspired composers, and I too enjoyed their
proximity. Freud’s city was also melancholy, what an American might call
“Blue,” so these tunes are tinged with sadness and even homesickness. The A
section comprises chords above a running line for the bassoon, which the
other instruments draw on for their melodic turns. In the B section the
horn’s repeated notes underpin duets, first clarinet and bassoon, then flute
and oboe, finally all in a combination that gradually winds down. After the
A section reprise the horn starts a coda that tosses licks among the players
with increasing energy to close.
The Misty Danube, movement two, portrays the
great river at dawn, as daylight comes and fog eventually lifts. With rising
sixths and plaintive phrases, it begins peaceful and slow, as the water
seemed when walking its banks early. Then the pace picks up, as melody
breaks out and the sun at last pokes through. These little duets (e.g. flute
and clarinet, oboe and bassoon) are a nod to Mahler, who lived near the
Danube canal. Meanwhile, the horn and bassoon accompany with a repeated,
pulsing figure that I think of as waves. This music also contains some
near-hidden quotations from an American popular song. After the opening
theme returns, the piece ends quietly.
Vienna is famous
for its waltzes, so that form serves for the third movement,
Alexander’s
Holding Your Hand. Although he’s imaginary, I saw many students
enjoying lovely parks, vibrant streets and timeless cafes — and lots of
older lovers too. So here we have dance music reminiscent of Josef Strauss,
although tension and drama erupt at one point thanks to the horn. Soon,
however, everyone forgets their problems and the instruments resume
waltzing. Next comes an
Interlude,
with idiomatic writing for winds, relishing their trilling and agility. This
atmospheric short movement juxtaposes fast motifs suited to Austria’s lively
international scene with lyrical episodes born of its splendid scenery.
The final movement,
Tales from the Ragtime Band,
employs ragtime, a syncopated American genre. Its carefree spirit evidently
prevailed at the turn of the last century, in both countries, before the
cataclysm of WW I. Here melodies and phrases dominate, modulating through
various tonal centers, in a headlong rush to the future. The titles of these
movements are a mash-up of “standards” from Austria and the USA:
Tales from the Vienna Woods, The Beautiful Blue Danube, Misty (Holding Your
Hand), and Alexander’s Ragtime Band. Although I joked around with these
names, I trust I respected the musical culture of both countries as they
worked out their influences on me. Despite invoking time-honored techniques,
I tried to give this composition a 21st-Century perspective that is fresh to
play and hear.
