Wonderland Movement 1

I have completed the 1st movement of this new composition for an ensemble of 3-5 instrumentalists. I am composing the piece for four unspecified instruments, one each in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass ranges. This gives me flexibility in reducing the score for an ensemble of 3 instrumentalists or enlarging it for 5 instrumentalists. I can also combine lines and add harmony to accommodate a pianist within the group. I will customize the music for each of the participating ensembles in the commissioning consortium. For more information about joining the consortium, please read my previous post.

The first movement, Alice, is in two parts. The first part depicts Alice falling down the rabbit hole with a fast, triple  meter, and lots of descending lines. There are some longer notes used underneath the fast notes that create the illusion of her falling slowly. The beginning ideas are highly chromatic. At measure 24, the melodic material becomes more arpeggiated. At measure 34, a pyramid effect that repeats 4 times is used to create tension. The opening two sections return before petering out as Alice makes a safe landing.

Part two represents Alice constantly changing size. When she grows, the music becomes louder and thicker in texture. When she shrinks, it becomes softer and thinner in texture. Ascending lines are also used to represent growing and descending lines are used to represent shrinking.

I export my Sibelius Music Notation file as a movie (new to version 7.5). I also use Noteperformer software for the sounds. These are sample sounds, but the software also includes an algorithm that reads ahead in the music and phrases the music according to context, therefore making the realization closer to live performance. I  upload these videos to youtube and embed the video after the poetry for each movement. I hope that this technology allows the reader to have an easier experience and a more realistic performance. The sounds used in the movie are violin, clarinet, trombone, and tuba. To see and hear what I have discussed, go to http://www.cooppress.net/Wonderland_blog.html. 

As always, your comments are appreciated.
Dr. B