Turning
Mark Gustavson
About this work:
Turning (2012) is a piece for mixed chamber ensemble commissioned by Stony Brook University for their Premieres Concert. It is a cyclical piece comprised of four reoccurring sections that expand on each return. The opening section's returns are demarcated by a one-measure chant by the musicians. The inspiration for the cyclical form comes from Charles Ives’s brief song “The Cage.”
In addition, the melodic and harmonic materials of Ives’s song are deconstructed to create a new composition that expounds on the boy’s wonderment in the text. The title Turning makes the connection between the Hindu/Buddhist’s “Wheel of Time” and the leopard in the cage.
Version: for bass clarinet, percussion, piano and contrabass
Year composed: 2012
Duration: 00:15:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice
Instrumentation: 1 Bass Clarinet, 1 Percussion (General), 1 Piano, 1 Double bass