Whirlwind

Description

Sunbin Kim presents his Whirlwind, for flute, clarinet, and piano.

From the composer:

’Whirlwind was written for the Palisades Virtuosi. I named it ‘Whirlwind’ after the fast flourishes in the opening flute solo that had been the starting point of my piece, which was reminiscent to me of a whirlwind. I worked this beginning idea into the ‘theme flavor’ that I would base this piece on, an agile but light, and at times ethereal ‘texture’ of the sound.

First the whirlwind is sharp and strong, in the flute; then subsides into calmness, with the clarinet and piano; and finally comes a gentler gust, with all instruments.

For this piece, I tried to write for each instrument so that they fill a ‘niche’—starting with the quick, bright flourishes of the flute, then the darker, pensive, and slower tones of the clarinet. The piano, rather than simply accompanying the others, is an integral part of the overall texture of the music, with its stark, disjunct chords and unpredictability of speed. Near the end, all three instruments are combined into one nebulous sonority.

In Whirlwind I used several extended techniques that show the timbral capacity of each instrument: for the winds, breathy attacks, ‘air tones’ and multiphonics; and for the piano, strums, pizzicatos, and percussive effects on the strings. Writing for the Palisades Virtuosi gave me a unique, and in the end, very fulfilling challenge in composing music.’

For advanced players.

Additional information