minute ideas
JoyEllen O'Brien
About this work:
The first of these “ideas” for clarinet and piano were begun in the spring of 1998. The sketches were then set aside, until a piece could be found that they belonged in. Eventually, I realized that each could be a self-contained vignette in its own right, and in January of 2001 I created some contrasting companions for these short pieces. After winnowing and polishing, I had a collection of five.
The meaning of the title is twofold. These vignettes are “minute” – small, brief. They are “ideas” – each one hints at musical concepts that could be explored further but never are. They are also “minute ideas” because each is about one minute long - with the exception of “a bit more determination”, which is a bit longer, and “new york minute”, which is (of course!) a bit shorter.
Movement Titles:
1. chasing ideas
2. a moment’s contemplation
3. a bit more determination
4. mysterious notion
5. new york minute
Year composed: 2001
Duration: 00:05:00
Ensemble type: Chamber or Jazz Ensemble, Without Voice:Keyboard plus One Instrument
Instrumentation: ,1 Clarinet soloist(s), 1 Piano
Instrumentation notes: For intermediate instrumentalists, at the beginning of their chamber music education