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Score title
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Aurolucent Circles
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Composer
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Margaret Brouwer
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Date
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2004
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Instrumentation
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Percussion, orchestra
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Program note
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Written for Evelyn Glennie, this concerto was conceived to show the wonderful array of delicate and mysterious percussion sounds as well as the more traditional drumming. The aim was to make a concerto that would be as sophisticated as that of one for the violin or piano. In the delicate and transparent sections, the soloist is often accompanied only by one of two concertino groups. The first group consists of 2 flutes, 2 harps, 2 section percussion, solo strings, and 1 trombone, and is used in various combinations. The second group is a concertino of 5 woodwinds. Lyrical and intimate sections of either solo percussion, or solo accompanied by concertino players are contrasted with loud drum solos accompanied by full orchestra.
Inspired by the poetic motion of Evelyn Glennie when she performs, it became an important aim in this work for there to be motion in the sound as well. The second movement, which was composed first, was planned as a dance of sound and motion. Beginning with the soloist and gradually including the center concertino group, Stardance begins with the sound and visual motion of bells ringing in the solo percussion as well as the section percussion who are positioned around the stage. As more members of the orchestra begin to play, there are sections where the sound begins in one part of the stage and floats or swings to another. In addition, sometimes in full orchestral sections, the sound sweeps from side to side of the stage in a waltz-like motion.
The first movement begins with blurred colors, sounds and mysterious melodies. Becoming increasingly driving, it ends with fast, telescoping patterns of notes grouped according to the Fibonacci number series. The third movement is a quick-moving perpetual motion that begins with a five-note rhythmic motive circling around the back and sides of the stage between the orchestral percussionists. The soloist interrupts with a drum solo that leads to an interaction with the woodwind concertino. This is contrasted with sections of bright, full orchestral sound. Continuing in non-stop forward motion throughout, the rhythm develops and the five-note pattern evolves into further use of the Fibonacci series.
The name Aurolucent Circles was inspired by the sparkling and lucent sound of so many of the percussion instruments used in the concerto. That along with the circling of the sound around the stage brought to mind the aurora borealis (an electrical atmospheric phenomenon consisting of luminous meteoric streamers, bands, hazy curtains, and streamers of light in the night sky). “Aurolucent” combines the words aurora and lucent.
Margaret Brouwer
