TheSpaceBetween

MIDI recording

Perusal scores are downloadable and viewable but not printable.

Instrumentation: Mixed septet (flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, viola, cello and piano)

Duration: ca. 11 minutes

Year composed: 2022

Place composed: Kansas City, Missouri

Program Notes:
TheSpaceBetween was composed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, when lockdowns and quarantines put space between all of us (at least six feet, and often many more). This distance inspired creativity, though, in finding new ways to connect, like socially distant walks, Zoom hangouts, and outdoor dining, plus even some old ways like handwritten letters.

But the piece is not only about the pandemic. Human beings are inherently social creatures, and we are always looking for (and finding) ways to bridge the space between.

The performers of TheSpaceBetween surround the audience. The music begins with a long-spun line in the solo flute, introducing the musical material for the piece. The flute connects across the performance venue with the clarinet on a unison note, passing the music to that player — reaching out across the space that divides both physically and metaphorically. The clarinet connects with the viola on a unison note, and so on until each instrument has played a solo line in turn. Then duets appear, with two instruments connecting at points beyond just the beginning and the end. Duets are followed by trios, as a web of sound takes shape throughout the venue, then by quartets, quintets, and finally a sextet. The piano frames each change (e.g. from duets to trios) with a short interlude. After the sextet, which features every instrument except the piano, the piano plays an extended interlude, a soliloquy of sorts, and eventually ushers in the full ensemble playing together. The process of connection is then reversed, with a sextet recalling the previous one giving way to a quintet, a quartet, a trio, and a duet, still with short piano interludes framing each change. In the final interlude, the piano passes the line back to the flute, which returns to its music from the very beginning of the piece. In the final measure, rather than the flute remaining alone, the clarinet joins in harmony for the last few moments: one last connection and a look ahead in hope.