Colmena
Arlene Sierra
About this work:
Colmena, which means ‘beehive’ in Spanish, explores accumulation and change from micro to macro levels. Having read of the nature of beehives, and how their societies depend on a fine balance of outgoing and less enterprising individuals, my initial impetus for the piece was one of hidden changes bringing about a transformation of the whole.
Coloring this idea is a subtle nod to the stylized Franco-Iberian sound of early 20th-century scores, with simmering energy and sweeping gestures. Finally, the idea of a mass of insects actually hibernating,as beehives do each year, brought about the music of the last section of the piece – an exploration of a sort of buzzing repose. Colmena was commissioned by Miller Theatre at Columbia University with support from the Cheswatyr Foundation.
Year composed: 2008
Duration: 00:07:30
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 10+ players
Instrumentation: 2 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet, 1 Horn in F, 2 Percussion (General), 1 Piano, 2 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello, 1 Double bass, 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: Oboe = English Horn