(visit http://www.carlschimmel.com to order score and parts)
This work is one in a series of works which delve into the nature of diatonicism. Each Elemental Homunculus features one of the six basic intervals as a constantly recurring pair of notes (for example, E and F in Mvt. I) and explores its diatonic possibilities. The idea that a work of music (in particular a short work of music) can represent a persona or personality has been of particular interest to me recently, and these character pieces constitute a part of this stylistic trend. Music is essentially wordless communication; it is accordingly analogous to (and a complex version of) emotional expression – cries, shouts, laughter, etc. So mood and personality, which are nearly indistinguishable from emotional states, lend themselves to musical exploration. These Homunculi each have their own individual attitudes and hang-ups, and yet each has mysteriously been drawn from my own personality.
