w20470
| Title | When Crossing Lines |
| Contributors |
Jane Serter (composer) |
| Composition date | 2016 |
| Duration (mins) | 6 |
| Category | chamber quintet |
| Instrumentation | Pf 2 Vn Va Vc |
| Commissioned by | |
| Key signature | |
| First line | |
| First performed | |
| Notes | '(In Memoriam, my brother Gordon)' |
| Programme Note | At the opening of the piece, a "line" is created by a sustained note on one of thestrings, while another one of the strings gradually approaches it. When the two instruments meet, chaos is created by hammering chords on the piano, sometimes with glissandos from the strings, making the "crossing" difficult. When the journey reaches the highest point, the crossing is more benign. The piano then "jumps" over the sustained line with loud staccato notes, stopping when the note forms either a major or minor third (or sixth) with the sustained note. This last piano note is "bounced" to one of the strings, and the interval of the 3rd is sustained for a while. The music gradually becomes lower. There is then a short period where the piano is sustaining a "line" with chords and the melody is tossed over the line, shared between the 1st violin and cello. The opening music then returns. It is interrupted, however, by two lines now being sustained by the middle strings and the melody shared once more between the cello and 1st violin. The piano also joins in crossing the lines with very high notes and very low notes. The opening music returns once more, but now with the two lines being sustained. The music continues with the slightly more optimistic music on the piano ending the piece very suddenly. ----------------------------------------------- I had just begun this piece when I received the news of the sudden and unexpected death of my brother. The largely mournful nature of the piece is unsurprising. |
This work is associated with the following collection items:
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