Passages: Six Movements for Dance
Don Freund
About this work:
Passages was commissioned for the Island Moving Company, a modern dance/ballet company in Newport, R.I. It was composed in collaboration with choreographer Judith Wombwell who suggested the title and the program for the piece; the 6 movements, Birth, Innocence, Growth, Nurturing, Longing, and Building describe the maturation of a society as well as an individual. The work was first performed outdoors, so primal naturalistic gestures dominate the musical character.
Concerning the Synthesizer part:
The Casio CZ101 or 1000 (both have the same sounds, the only difference being full-sized keys on the CZ1000) was been the keyboard instrument of choice for the Memphis Casio Ensemble for whom this work was composed. The appeal of the CZ (apart from its being cheap and very portable) is the directness, clarity, and chamber music styled intimacy of its voices. It is not touch sensitive, and therefore functions more like an organ or harpsichord as a continuo instrument. In performance, a volume pedal to the amp may be used to adjust balances, but this should not be a necessity. Since Casio CZ's are not as easy to find as the composer might hope, other keyboard synthesizers may be substituted; great care should be taken to imitate as nearly as possible the sound of the CZ (which may be heard on a recording provided by the composer.) A MIDI sequence of Passages may be used to replace the keyboard player (making it a sax and horn duo with sequencer) or a tape recording of the Casio part may be used.
Version: for Alto Saxophone, Horn and Casio CZ
Year composed: 1991
Duration: 00:23:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Alto Saxophone, 1 Horn in F, 1 Electric/Electronic Keyboard
Instrumentation notes: The Casio CZ101 or 1000 (both have the same sounds, the only difference being full-sized keys on the CZ1000) was been the keyboard instrument of choice for the Memphis Casio Ensemble for whom this work was composed. The appeal of the CZ (apart from its being cheap and very portable) is the directness, clarity, and chamber music styled intimacy of its voices. It is not touch sensitive, and therefore functions more like an organ or harpsichord as a continuo instrument. In performance, a volume pedal to the amp may be used to adjust balances, but this should not be a necessity. Since Casio CZ's are not as easy to find as the composer might hope, other keyboard synthesizers may be substituted; great care should be taken to imitate as nearly as possible the sound of the CZ (which may be heard on a recording provided by the composer.) A MIDI sequence of Passages may be used to replace the keyboard player (making it a sax and horn duo with sequencer) or a tape recording of the Casio part may be used.