Nocturne and Prelude, Waltz and Rumba
Alvez Barkoskie IV
About this work:
Nocturne and Prelude, Waltz and Rumba seeks to exploit the many colors and possibilities of the “Pierrot” Ensemble, so named after the instrumentation of the famous (or infamous) Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold Schoenberg. The first movement is a simple Nocturne, or “Night Song” that utilizes the lyricism and melodic capabilities of the ensemble.
“Prelude, Waltz and Rumba” is a strikingly different movement. The opening is based on the perfect fifth caving in on itself with a mysterious clarinet solo. Then with a more driving tempo the violin, clarinet and flute enter in layers over the cello ostinato. After a cadenza-like cello passage the piano starts a jazz waltz with fragments of the opening clarinet solo and the flute brings back some melodic material from the “Nocturne” in a minor key. The piece ends with a rumba which starts out with mostly its own material and another quote from the first movement, and eventually brings back themes from the original clarinet solo and the opening cello ostinato.
Performers for this recording are: Kenzie Slottow, flute;
Loren Welles, clarinet;
Polina Nazaykinskaya, violin;
Dave Campbell, cello;
Nicholas Meyer, percussion; and
Charlie Magnone, piano.
Performed at the Masters Composition Recital of Alvez Barkoskie IV, April 9, 2011.
Year composed: 2011
Duration: 00:14:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 6-9 players
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Clarinet, 1 Vibraphone, 1 Drum Set, 1 Piano, 1 Violin, 1 Cello, 1 Other Percussion Instrument(s)