Alternating Currents
Faye-Ellen1 Silverman
About this work:
In commissioning this work, Thomas Matta mentioned that it would be premiered as part of a series celebrating America and American music. This thought led me to the title “Alternating Currents” as, in my mind, part of America’s strength comes from its technology, and the title term comes from the field of electricity. The definition of the title term also states that the field is strongest when lines are close together – a concept relating not only to electricity but also to the idea of America as a melting pot. This, in turn, influenced the inter-relations of the two instruments during the compositional process. Thus the two parts are fairly equal. Sections of the piece have the piano predominate while, in the return to the slow tempo, the bass trombone has the predominant line. In places, the two instruments exchange phrases.
Alternating Currents outlines the letters AC. This piece begins on the note A, and ends on a C. Parts of the piece are based on the alternation of major and minor thirds. Thus the piece begins with the pitches A, C, Ab. In addition, there are two alternating tempos. One changes to the other, as in electricity, by means of a “transformer” – equivalent values in the first instance, and an accelerando in the second. Within the first of two the fast sections, the values accelerate from eighth notes to triplets to sixteenths. With the arrival of sixteenths, the bass trombone and one hand of the piano merge together to form a continuous line, while the other hand of the piano outlines thirds ¬–separated by large leaps that prepare the trombone “cadenza” that follows in the return to the slower tempo.
This work is dedicated to Thomas Matta.
Year composed: 2002
Duration: 00:07:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Keyboard plus One Instrument
Instrumentation: 1 Bass Trombone, 1 Piano