Polythene Sonata Product
(2014)
10 minutes
Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano and Percussion Also available for Saxophone(s), Clarinet(s), Violin, Cello, Piano and Percussion.
Performance Information
Commissioned by the St. Olaf College Chamber Players
World Premiere: St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN. St. Olaf Chamber Players. 2014.
Featured Performance: Max M. Fischer Music Center, Detroit, MI. Latitude 49. September 2015.
Tour: Concordia University, Chicago / Constellation, Chicago / Spectrum, NY. Latitude 49. February 2016.
Chiarina Chamber Players: Washington, D.C. November 2022.
Photo by Guilherme Freitas on Unsplash
About
Polythene Sonata Product (2014) plays with the distinction between
minimalism and sonata form. Many works of minimalism unfold
over long time scales with imperceptible transitions, but this piece, although
it has a minimalist groove, has two conflicting–and maximally
contrasting–themes, and even a recapitulation (both hallmarks of sonata
form). The transitions between the two themes are abrupt, violent,
and sometimes even bewildering. I called this mixing of minimalism and
sonata form a “Sonata Product,” which conveys both the sonata-like
structure and the influence of pop music (especially in its groove-based
rhythms).
The image of a factory generating thousands of copies of a Sonata
Product was one that stayed in my mind as I was composing the piece.
This industrial feel is at its most apparent in the latter half of the piece.
The word “Polythene” refers to a kind of plastic, and the term was
immortalized by The Beatles in their song “Polythene Pam,” which is —
somewhat ironically — not a real influence on this work.