Wrought Iron
Andrea Reinkemeyer
About this work:
Wrought Iron (2012) for Flute and Percussion was commissioned by the Albany (NY) Symphony Orchestra as part of the Capital Region Heritage Commissions project. This piece is a musical celebration of the beautiful metal work that crowns the iconic Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. The shapes found within the iron work--circles, triangles, and rectangles--dictated the shape of the percussion instruments used--cymbals, tambourine, bongos, triangle, and vibraphone. The music reflects the light, airy and beautifully ornate quality of the metal castings.
While composing this piece, I was also drawn to another fascinating aspect of this building: architect George B. Post used metal to look like stone. In his attempt to make a European-looking building (on an American budget), he fashioned a metallic exoskeleton that houses a truly unique acoustic space. In this vein, I have worked elements from pieces by two of the composers whose names grace the ceiling of the hall: Ludwig van Beethoven and Frederick Chopin; in this way, I am honoring the work of artists who came before me, but with a twenty-first century American twist. Like the cast aluminum used in the 1990s renovation to replace the original iron, and the woodwind made of metal, things are not always what they seem.
Many thanks to Melanie Sorenson and Brian Amer for their artistic support.
Year composed: 2012
Duration: 00:05:30
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Other Combinations, 2-5 players
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Percussion (General)
Instrumentation notes: Percussion: Vibraphone, Bongos, Tambourine, China Cymbal, Splash Cymbal, Triangle