Colored Leaves
Pamela J. Marshall
About this work:
A virtuosic solo requiring agility but avoiding the high register. Arpeggios are interspersed with time-suspending glissandi done with hand stopping. Two movements: "Crisp and Cool" and "Aria - Whistling Wind."
The composer writes:
"When I wrote Colored Leaves, I was thinking about all the virtuosic unaccompanied literature that usually ended on a screaming high C, sometimes higher. Since I play the horn, but don't really have a strong high C, I wanted to provide a musically interesting alternative for horn players that didn't emphasize the high register. Although difficult, Colored Leaves avoids this gesture, making the piece suitable for players who specialize in low horn. "
The coloristic effects include hand glissandi, stopped, half-stopped, and muted passages. In the beginning of Whistling Wind, the player can choose between using the hand or the mute to achieve a gentle, distant sound.
Composed in 1994, Cynthia Carr selected it as a student competition requirement at the Southeast Horn Workshop in Newark, Delaware in 1996. In 2004 it is test piece for the Hong Kong Schools Music Festival.
Available from Spindrift Music Company (www.spindrift.com)
Year composed: 1994
Duration: 00:06:00
Ensemble type: Solo instrument, non-keyboard:Horn in F
Instrumentation: 1 Horn in F