FULL ANTHOLOGY

 

ATOMIC FANFARE

 

MITOSE, PROLIFÉRATION, APOPTOSE

 

PRISM

 

IN MEDIAS RES

 

ZERO QUINTET

 

TO THROW

 

BRASS QUINTET NO. 1

 

THE GRIND

 

ELEGY

 

OVERFLOW

THE GRIND

Bernard Walasavage

 

The Grind for brass quintet (2013) bears its title and overlying concept from giosocialnetworking applications on smartphones, particularly the type used for finding a mate. I think there is something incredibly hilarious and prophetic in the current trends of how people court each other, as if Huxley himself could have accurately imagined this a hundred years ago.

 

The piece opens in a violent assault almost in a drunken fashion of accents, burps, and clipped notes. This is juxtaposed by long, smeared tones that try to develop but are interrupted by outbursts of frustration. Players are called to moan or grunt through their instrument or the voice creating an additive texture that eventually breaks down.

 

The pseudo “coda” section is signified by a warped fanfare-like rhythm of raucous notes as the piece slowly decays to a unison tone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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