afl(=picc).cl(=bcl).bn(=dbn)-hn.tpt.trbn-perc(1):marimba/vib/crot/BD/tpl.bl-harp-gtr-vla.vlc.db
Abbreviations (PDF)
Boosey & Hawkes
In writing Flex, I was interested in exploring a sound-world which was constantly being shaped (or 'bent' as the title implies) by the solo piano. The twelve member ensemble was deliberately chosen to enhance the instability I felt was suggested by this idea. I was interested in the unusual combinations afforded by the group and intentionally pit, say, the trombone against the guitar, or the piccolo against the contra-bassoon. Also, throughout the work, I tried whenever possible to camouflage the various timbres, in order to occasionally confuse the listener as to which instrument was playing. While the ensemble initially react to the piano's pyrotechnic gestures, they begin to mold into something more stable, until they eventually replace the role of the soloist as musical catalyst.
David Horne
Reproduction Rights:
This programme note may be reproduced free of charge in concert programmes with a credit to the composer.