Description
Composed in 2014, Coalescence is the result of a commission by a consortium of individual tuba and euphonium players, ranging from collegiate students to professionals. The work represents the coming together of people and ideas, portrayed throughout the work musically as fragmented figures gravitate towards one another to form moments of unity. Though not necessarily programmatic, the piece could be considered a glimpse into a scene rather than the telling of a story from start to finish.
The work is in two parts: Part I is characterized by the soloists playing chant-like melodic lines while the piano is fragmented and, at times, outside of the pulse. Part II is more rhythmically driving and musically together. In this section, there is an exploration of various timbres and effects, including quick dynamic swells, low percussive effects in the solo part, and the muffling of the inside strings of the piano. The juxtaposition these two parts create represents an ongoing interest I have in creating contrasts within large- and small-scale structures.
Solo Parts Included: Euphonium, Tuba
