RUN. (2019)
WOODWIND QUINTET
(Approximate Duration | 9'05’’)
RUN. is a programmatic work for woodwind quintet. Competitive in nature, this piece gives listeners a lens into the experience of participating in a full-length 26.2-mile marathon. With the tedious nature of running a long-distance race, the composer attempts to portray the excitement and energetic spirit associated with the initial moments after the pop of the starting gun. With an eighth-note C drone serving as a constant reminder of the runner’s feet hitting the pavement, the work challenges the musician’s endurance and technique. As the piece progresses, brief accented syncopated gestures represent lingering aches and pains arising from overlooked and unstretched tendons. Written in a modified rondo, the returning A section brings the audience’s focus back on the endless asphalt. The proverbial “wall” eventually hits the quintet accompanied with added dissonance and slowed tempo before bringing the ensemble and composer to a brief halt.