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PLAY RECORDINGS
Crossover excerpt
Crossover
PROGRAM NOTES
Crossover (2005), the moment on the causeway bridge of Lake Ponchartrain , was inspired by a trip to New Orleans that I made in 2004. The 23 mile long Second Lake Ponchartrain Causeway, the longest bridge in the world, has seven crossovers that allow drivers to change direction or simply pullover and enjoy a view of the lake. Crossover depicts several emotional moments I had while crossing this bridge. The first part of the music describes the fluttering feeling that I got at the beginning of my little journey on the bridge from driving 80 feet above the water while scenic views of the lake rushed past me. This initial excitement became complicated with tension and anxiety as soon as I realized that there was no way to turn around on the bridge. The music reflects the mixed feelings I had through frequent tempo and motive changes. My anxiety was soon heightened by the nauseous scene of nothing but water stretching out to the horizon. The vast body of water is reflected in the middle part of the music through more steady gesture and the homogenous tone color of the ensemble. In this section the solos are gradually separated from the ensemble until they are forced to cadenza. The highlight of my journey was when I found the first crossover and turned around on the bridge. The last part of the music returns to the excitement and delight of the beginning with an energy that is heightened by the strong rhythmic gestures of the whole ensemble.
The instrumentation of this piece, a solo trio and large ensemble, comes from the baroque concerto grosso. In Crossover I have highlighted the registral difference between trio and ensemble as well as their different sound qualities. The string solos act against the rest of the ensemble although they occasionally join with the ensemble for tutti passages. I focused on treating the trio as a single unit with a homogenous tone rather than as individual virtuosic soloists.
Crossover was commissioned and premiered by David Dzubay and the Indiana New Music Ensemble.
-Yoomi Paick
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