midsummer music

midsummer music, written for flute (tripling on alto flute and piccolo), oboe, and piano, is a brief work comprised of four short vignettes each seeking to portray different facets of my favorite season of the year, summer. The composition begins with early morning light, a movement that tries to convey the sense of the longer days of summer and specifically how wonderful it is to awaken to warm sunlight – even early in the morning – as opposed to the cold darkness of winter mornings. The second movement, expected unexpected downpours, reflects the typical hot and humid afternoons found in the deep south where even though one knows a pop-up shower will inevitably occur at any time, these sudden outbursts always seem a surprise! The third movement, balmy twilight, is another meditation on the long, luxurious days of summer. It also serves as a counterpoint to the first movement. In this movement, the sense of the longer summer days is set to a sort of bossa nova/passacaglia that musically seeks to represent the long, slow descent of the sun amid warm temperatures, cool drinks by the water, and the flickering of fireflies. The energetic final movement, vistas of intention, is a portrayal of all the intentions we bring to the summer. The music careens recklessly and joyfully throughout. There is also a quirky off-kilter clock ticking in the center of the movement as a reminder that that summer speeds by all too quickly. This composition is dedicated with great appreciation to my very talented colleagues, Jessica Petrasek, Lara Dahl, and Mengyao Sun in celebration of their newly formed ensemble, the Hera Trio.