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Acrimony & Ascent by Max Winningham
Written for double bass, percussion, and electronics, Acrimony & Ascent has two primary movements, with a prelude, interlude, and postlude that punctuate the frenetic electronic energy that characterizes movements I & II. The prelude (solo double bass) represents one individual, while the postlude (solo vibraphone) represents another. The interlude portrays a temporary confluence and alignment of these two individuals, but they are ultimately ripped apart by the angry, rancorous energy found in movements I & II.
Acrimony & Ascent, though it is permeated by an undercurrent of tenderness, illustrates the destruction of a friendship or relationship—torn apart by negativity (both external and internal). The first movement begins with soaring, hopeful melodic lines in both instruments that are lost over the course of the 15-minute narrative… these melodic motives are finally regained after the postlude, in what I refer to as the “Ascent.” While these two individuals might be lost to one another, it is not too late to rekindle the feeling of hope and potential, albeit in a different harmonic and programmatic context.
-Max Winningham, 2022
I. Prelude (solo bass)
II. Movement I
III. Interlude (duo)
IV. Movement II
V. Postlude (solo vibraphone) & Ascent
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Mariel by Osvaldo Golijov
I wrote the original of the piece in memory of my friend Mariel Stubrin. I attempted to capture that short instant before grief, in which one learns of the sudden death of a friend who was full of life: a single moment frozen forever in one's memory and which reverberates through the piece, among the waves and echos of the Brazilian music that Mariel loved.
Seven years later I orchestrated the piece and let the melodies and harmonies lead the music to a wider range of emotion: the journey is now different.
-Osvaldo Golijov
Bloom by Molly Monahan
“Bloom” is meant to capture the mysterious beauty of an algal bloom, swirling colors, and textures that provoke a mixture of awe and disgust. From a distance, they look almost like a nebula, or a palette of watercolor paints spilled together. Up close, however, one notices the clumps of algae, seaweed, sediment, and creatures, alive and dead.
As the blooms flow between dense ecosystems of algae and clear waters, “Bloom” operates on patterns that arise, disappear, and morph unmetered and flowing freely. The clear chords of the marimba and frequent dissonances of the bass mimic the visceral, curious beauty of an algal bloom.
-Molly Monahan, 2022