RICL 411 - Adam Schoenberg - Reflecting light (2006)

Adam Schoenberg

REFLECTING LIGHT

For Brass Quintet (2006)

Commissioned by the Aspen Music Festival and School for the American Brass Quintet

Duration: ca. 9 minutes

©CopyrightbySchoenbergMusic. Represented WorldwidebyUMPG

First Performance: July 29, 2006 by the American Brass Quintet at Harris Hall, Aspen Music Festival & School.

© Copyright 2006 by Schoenberg Music. Represented Worldwide by Universal Music Publishing Group. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized duplication is a violation of the law. RICL 411 ISMN 979-0-57002-682-1

This past November, my former teacher’s father passed away over Thanksgiving. It was a very difficult time for him, and even though I didn’t know his father, I was affected by the pain and sadness that he was going through. I wasn’t able to articulate my thoughts to him in great detail, but I wanted to do something for him to let him know that I was really sorry for the loss of his father. In its essence, Reflecting Light is a conversation that I imagined having with my teacher, Robert Beaser.

The piece is a series of reflective moments: the first section, the opening chorale, represents the loss of life. A surge of energy emerges from the chorale and signifies the pain and frustration that one must go through when accepting another’s death. Just as it is necessary to move on after losing a loved one, the second section pays homage to the lost life and honors him with a meditative moment.

In this section, the trumpets play a long overlapping descending scale, while the trombones play open fifths. From this moment, a somber ostinato evolves from the horn and two trumpets, while the tenor trombone plays a short hymn-like melody. The music momentarily returns to the meditative fifths in the trombones and falling scales in the trumpets, before moving on to the last section, which is a celebration of life.

In this final section, an ostinato emerges from the horn, and the music gradually becomes more uplifting, until the end, where a series of fanfare-esque gestures come to light. I will never forget my time with Bob, and this work is dedicated to him as a gesture of my everlasting gratitude.

~Adam

Schoenberg June 28, 2006

©CopyrightbySchoenbergMusic. Represented WorldwidebyUMPG

Dedicated to Robert Beaser

Reﬂecting Light

con poco rubato

Adam Schoenberg

Trumpet in B b 1

Trumpet in B b 2

Horn in F Trombone

Bass Trombone

*open to hand mute for ﬁrst half step, then half valve the rest of the gliss

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Tpt. 1

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Tpt. 2

©CopyrightbySchoenbergMusic.

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b Tpt. 1

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©CopyrightbySchoenbergMusic.

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b Tpt. 2

Hn.

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Tpt. 1 B

Tpt. 2

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