Theme and Five Interpolations
Michael Wittgraf
About this work:
One meaning of the verb “to interpolate” is to corrupt by adding foreign matter. Theme and Five Interpolations (1995) begins with a theme, and then proceeds to corrupt its material five times. This is similar to the process of the traditional “theme and variations” form. In the case of these interpolations, however, only a very small portion of the theme is retained, and foreign matter corrupts the music nearly beyond the point of recognition. An appropriate analogy is that of a microscope, which reveals more than can be seen by the naked eye, but only for a tiny region.
Year composed: 1995
Duration: 00:15:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Percussion (General), 1 Cello
Instrumentation notes: Percussion is all metellic.