Bleue
Trevor Weston
About this work:
The Blues is one of the most important gifts that America has given to the world. Its poetry and music are at the basis of African American expression. The influence of the blues can be heard in all forms of American music performed here and abroad. Bleue is a 15 minute celebration of this important musical form and stylistic practice. The architecture of the piece is based on the Blues poetic structure, a stanza of three phrases. The first two movements are reflections of the first two phrases of a blues which states a problem or situation needing resolution. The last phrase and movement provide an unexpected resolution often utilizing wit in order to solve the problem. This work was started in Paris after I viewed three paintings by Joan Miro, Bleu I, II, and III, for the first time. The vibrant blue used for these works and their interesting textural interplay with the minimal foreground material impressed me deeply. I was aware that my composition would not be completed until I returned to the United States, so the title starts with the French word for blue and ends in English (ble(u)e). The first movement takes its name from this series of paintings, Bleue I. The second movement, Bim, is an abbreviation of the word Bimshire, an old name for the island of Barbados where most of my family resides. I.A.E.B.C. is an acronym for “I ain’t even be carin’ “, a common phrase used African-American vernacular, that provides a type of personal resolution to life’s stresses and problems through wit.
Version: 2002
Year composed: 1997
Duration: 00:15:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:String Orchestra
Instrumentation: 2 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 2 Percussion (General), 1 Strings (General)
Instrumentation notes: Steel Drum, Vibraphone, Tamtam, Snare,