Description
“Travelieder” is an exploration of multiphonics and sound effects for trombone. The three movements, Voyage, Journey, and Arrival, were born of a desire to have short, striking, unaccompanied works to play at the beginnings of masterclasses and presentations. Bearing this in mind, it is perfectly acceptable to extract just one movement to play at the beginning of a masterclass, in a recital or any other venue.
The title, “Travelieder,” comes from the fact that I often travel from place to place to deliver masterclasses. Lieder, of course, are songs – thus highlighting the song-like quality of the lyrical movements in these little vignettes.
The work as a whole has cyclical elements, with key centers and themes or derivatives of themes shared from one movement to another. If the singing requirements for multiphonics are out of range, feel free to transpose octaves, or even change the sung pitches (as long as the new notes are within the prevailing harmony) to accommodate vocal range. The main issue is to retain the spirit and harmonic integrity of the music.
–David Vining
