Les Gaz
Timothy J. Brown
About this work: Les Gaz uses the poem of the same name by Maurice Gauchez, a Belgian soldier who survived World War I. It was written in October 1915.
The central compositional feature in the poem is the use of the tone row:
E G F# B F E A# D# D A G# C#
This work is intended to sound like a carnival gone awry. The constant driving of the waltz meter represents the constant feeding of human lives into the war machine of attrition - the daily “wastage” required to keep the Western Front. This mechanism is also represented by the use of the 12-tone system.
This work is from a larger set of 10 pieces, but may be performed independently. Contact the composer for more information.
Year composed: 2002
Duration: 00:08:00
Ensemble type: Voice, Solo or With Chamber or Jazz Ensemble:Voice with Chamber/Jazz Ensemble, 6-9 Players
Instrumentation: 1 Oboe, 1 Piano, 1 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello, 1 Soprano
Instrumentation notes: Coloratura. Set in French.