Talaria

A study in protean transformation, TALARIA uses a handful of motives — a short head figure, descending arpeggiated fourths, their subsets and inversions — continuously transformed throughout.

A wispy introduction — structured by a canon — slowly coalesces and accelerates into the theme's first statement. Two fugatos — inverted and varied forms of the theme — follow, driving forward then slowing into a relaxed episode, which accelerates again into a hopping game across registers. This fades into a chorale — a slowed-down version of the theme — voiced and orchestrated after Gil Evans.

Movement returns, grows agitated then ferocious, erupting into a truncated and modified theme statement. A valiant fanfare follows, built on a contour inversion of the theme and treated canonically, then dies into a second chorale — this time recalling the Agnus Dei of Stravinsky.

From the lowest registers, the theme reemerges, climbs as a fugue, and erupts triumphantly, only to dissolve through fourths into a daze. The motives recombine, accelerating, until the theme returns one last time — varied but full. It collapses into a second daze, nothing but fourths, accelerating to an abrupt finish.

Also available as swift for orchestra.

LUWE – Robert Levy, conductor

Instrumentation

Wind ensemble

Duration

17'

Date

2000

Sheet music

Available upon request

Prize

Barlow Prize – Honorable Mention
2006

Recording

Lawrence University Wind Ensemble
Robert Levy, conductor

First performance

Lawrence University Wind Ensemble
Robert Levy, conductor
Appleton, WI, May 12, 2000