Still
John Fitz Rogers
About this work:
Commissioned by the Tulsa Philharmonic. The fabric of "Still" is woven from two different musical threads. The first thread is a recurring series of chords that changes very slowly. Within each series, chords are linked together by common tones, or by melodic patterns that remain fairly constant. The resulting texture changes continually, though those changes are often small and subtle. Because this work was commissioned to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city of Tulsa, I wanted to create a gradually shifting musical landscape appropriate to a century’s worth of evolution and growth. The second thread is a melodic fragment taken from a work by my former teacher, Jacob Druckman, who died in 1996. His work, "Nor Spell, Nor Charm," is scored for Soprano and English Horn. The melodic fragment I have chosen is first introduced in "Still" by a long English Horn solo, that in turn is taken up by the rest of the orchestra. In using this fragment, I was careful to avoid looking at Druckman’s actual score; I wanted to rely solely on my memory of his piece. Thus, the title "Still" has several meanings for me. It celebrates publicly ideas of continuity and change, while honoring privately a voice that lingers with me still.
Year composed: 1998
Duration: 00:10:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Chamber Orchestra
Instrumentation: 2 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 2 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 1 Percussion (General), 1 Celesta, 20 Strings (General), 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: Percussion requirements: Small Triangle, Small and Medium Suspended Cymbals, Large Tam-Tam, Crotales, Vibraphone