Child's Play
Michael Wittgraf
About this work:
Child’s Play
for Bb Clarinet and Percussion
by Michael Wittgraf
Duration: Approximately 11 minutes
Program Notes
Child’s Play was commissioned by the North Dakota Music Teachers
Association and the Music Teachers National Association; and was composed
for Elizabeth Rheude and Mike Blake of the University of North Dakota.
The work is based on about 30 children’s tunes that I knew as a child.
It also incorporates jazz and latin rhythms, as well as some improvisation by
the percussionist.
During the course of the music, the children’s tunes appear in various
guises: sometimes clearly heard; other times well hidden to the ear. As many
as 12 tunes completely stripped of their rhythms are heard at once. Some
tunes are placed in conflicting rhythmic contexts. They appear polytonally
and alone. Sometimes they sneak out of the texture only to disappear again.
Musical game playing is the essence of the work: hide-and-seek, fantasy
play, races, puzzles, games of skill, and games of chance. Some of the games
occur simultaneously. All of the games are light-hearted.
The music opens with an introduction based on “Twinkle, Twinkle,
Little Star”, which is the same tune as the alphabet song and “Baa, Baa
Black Sheep”. Following is a large section divided into two presentation of 12
tunes each. During the division, some of these tunes become recognizable.
The middle of the work comprises a large section of improvisation by the
percussionist. While the drums sound, the clarinetist plays some musical
games using pitches and rhythms from several tunes. The meter changes
from duple to triple subdivisions during the course of this section.
The last major section marks a kind of return to the opening large
section. Some of the tunes are recycled, but the texture has changed. The
music concludes with a coda that employs “Rock-a-Bye Baby” and Brahms’
“Lullaby”, putting the music to sleep.
Version: Bb Clarinet and Percussion
Year composed: 2003
Duration: 00:11:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Clarinet, 1 Percussion (General)
Instrumentation notes: Bb clarinet, percussion requires vibraphone