Musicians Wrestling
Jay Anthony Gach
About this work:
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A few lines from an Emily Dickinson poem were the impetus for the rhythmic spirit of this short orchestral piece MUSICIANS WRESTLING:
"Musicians wrestle everywhere
All day among the crowded air,
I hear the silver strife..."
Later in the poem Dickinson writes
"Some say it is the spheres at play;"
From the initial downbeat of MUSICIANS WRESTLING it becomes pretty obvious that I've taken a very literal interpretation of Ms. Dickinson's primary image: my musicians are indeed wrestling and having a riotous, rowdy and boisterous time of it at that. They wrestle in groups, they wrestle with each other individually and collectively. Several wrestling matches break out simultaneously. Should one group run out of stamina they are quickly overwhelmed by another group. A trumpet and a trombone seem to emerge victorious but only for a moment as they are immediately pounced upon by the entire ensemble. A referees whistle - having earlier failed in attempts to restore order - enlists the help of a clash cymbal and finally brings the wrestling to its wild conclusion. (JAG)
Year composed: 2000
Duration: 07:00:80
Ensemble type: Orchestra
Instrumentation: