Sudden Spring

Don Freund

About this work:

Don Freund: Sudden Spring for Woodwind Quintet

For the U. S. Army Field Band Woodwind Quintet

Program notes from the composer:

You would expect that as the years pass, the rhythm of the seasons would become more and more predictable. So I am all the more amazed to be caught off guard by the seemingly abrupt shifts in the times of year, offering promise and threat. The most stunning to me is spring, which in a flash can turn a miserable winter into a glorious celebration of life, dancing off to summer before we have had a chance to get to know her.

The opening tune of Sudden Spring is marked "bright and edgy," a characterization which could be fairly applied to the entire work. The episodes streaming from this tune ride a course that can be disruptive, soothing, startling, swirling, stormy — even the sweet Pastorale which almost concludes piece is graced with intrusions and reminiscences and a dark moment before the clouds part and a single line shines through.

Year composed: 2015
Duration: 00:14:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Woodwind Quintet
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 1 Horn in F

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