Duet for Flugelhorn & Piano in Ab
Chamber MusicDuet for Flugelhorn & Piano in Ab
Duet for Flugelhorn & Piano in Ab
Category: Chamber Music
The “Duet for Flugelhorn & Piano in Ab” was composed from September of 2001 until reaching this final version in February of 2002.
At the prospect of having one of my compositions performed at the Annual Great Neck Faculty Recital, where I began working that year, I was motivated and inspired to begin composing this new piece for the occasion. This particular faculty concert would take on a very special meaning for me since it was dedicated to our fallen heroes of 9-11. I drew my inspiration from this very sad and surreal period of time that I was living through and could not avoid. I owe its particular character to that fact.
All though I began composing this piece immediately in September, it soon became clear that it would not be ready in time for the 2001 recital in October. I, therefore, reluctantly arranged one of my previous works for flute and piano, “Ambiente Diciembre,” for trumpet and piano in order to take advantage of the performance opportunity. It was eventually performed the following year on Flügelhorn instead of trumpet to take advantage of the instrument’s lower range and unique timber and sonority.
The “Duet for Flugelhorn & Piano in Ab” has several styles interwoven including Jazz and Latin rhythms, Classical, fugal and canonic writing with traditional, Modern and Jazz harmonies. I believe it captured and expresses my many emotions that I, and perhaps many, was experiencing during this incredibly difficult and tragically historic time in our nation.