Wings
Composer: Joan Tower
Publisher: Associated Music Publishers
$15.00
| Movement/Section | Duration: 9.25 |
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Joan Tower (b. 1938) is an American composer, pianist, and conductor. Wings was written in 1981, and is dedicated to Laura Flax. The world premiere was performed by Laura Flax in Merkin Hall, Kaufman Music Center, New York, NY, USA on 1981/12/14.
Quick facts
Range: highest pitch = written A6
Key signature: no ♯/♭
Time signature: N/AWings was inspired by Tower's collaboration as a pianist with Flax in the Da Capo Chamber Players ensemble. Tower stated that while the work certainly supports plenty of bird imagery, it was not written based on an image, but rather came out of Flax's unique qualities as a clarinettist. Another influence was Messiaen's Quatuor pour la fin du temps, which bears some resemblance in the long phrases, dynamic extremes, and unmetered notation. Wings requires great endurance and breath control, particularly to navigate the nuances of the many long altissimo notes. The score is meticulously notated, with tempo, dynamics, articulation, and accents clearly defined. Even with plentiful markings, the performer still has a great responsibility to establish their own natural flow of energy and motion to meet a cohesive interpretation.
Rebecca Rischin wrote a thorough discussion of the piece, including interviews with the composer, in The Clarinet magazine, Volume 26 #2.
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Performer / Ensemble Link Comments -
Pages: 7
Pages (score):
Publisher Code: AMP78732
UPC: 073999281705
ISBN: 9780793537105
ISMN:
Length: 30.4 cm
Width: 22.8 cm
Thickness: 0.141 cm
Weight: 68 g
