Atacama
Item
-
Score title
-
Atacama
-
Composer
-
Nancy Galbraith
-
Program note
-
Atacama is a sonata for flute and piano in three movements - "Capricho", "Nocturno - in Memory of the Missing", "Volante".
Capricho is a rhythmic movement, which makes use of numerous irregular meters and hemiolas. The mood is upbeat, with touches of humor throughout.
A dramatic contrast occurs in the solemn atmosphere of Nocturno, which begins very still with a slow-moving descending scale passage in the flute, performed with no vibrato. The mood shifts in the middle section, which becomes somewhat improvisatory and makes use of such techniques as harmonics and pitch bending. Following a cadenza-like climax in the flute, the material returns to that of the opening.
Volante is a very fast, perpetual motion closing movement. After a brief introduction, the main theme, comprised of ascending and descending sixteenth note patterns, is presented in the flute. This material is transformed into a quiet accompaniment figure in the piano over which a slower moving cantabile melody occurs. Following a transition back to the opening theme, the movement closes with material from this theme combined with large polytonal chords in the piano.
-N.G.
Nancy Galbraith