PERUSALSCORE
Program Note
Droughts and Downpours (2024) was commissioned by the Tanglewood Music Center and explores the concepts of scarcity and abundance through the sonic depiction of rainfall (or lack thereof). e ensemble evokes doubt, longing, hope, and joy through sound worlds of aridity, mist, drizzle, and deluge; harmonics and pizzicato braid with ostinati and percussive effects in search of "enough." As climate change has made droughts more frequent, longer, and more severe, how can we cherish and care for the world around us?
DroughtsandDownpourswasoriginallycommissionedbytheTanglewoodMusicCenterwiththegenerous supportoftheMerwinGeffenM.D.andNormanSolomonM.D.NewCommissionsFund.ankstoe versionforstringorchestrawasco-commissionedbyEliasMillerandtheApolloEnsembleofBoston,ROCO ChamberOrchestra,andHo-YinKwokandIthacaCollege.
Instrumentation
StringOrchestra
PerformanceNotes
•X notes indicated "dead notes" or "ghost notes," where the player creates a small percussive effect by stopping the string so that little to no pitch is produced.
•Instrumentalists should perform the percussive effects (e.g., tapping, knocking) to the degree that they are comfortable on their particular instrument. Regardless of technique, effects should transform from soft and distant to intense and direct in relation to the dynamics written.
Duration:c.8minutes
Firstprintingofthisedition,January2025
PERUSALSCORE
DroughtsandDownpours wascommissionedbytheTanglewoodMusicCenter withthegeneroussupportoftheMerwinGefenM.D.andNormanSolomonM.D.NewCommissionsFund.
eversionforstringorchestrawasco-commissionedbyEliasMillerandtheApolloEnsembleofBoston, ROCOChamberOrchestra,andHo-YinKwokandIthacaCollege.
Copyright©2025GalaFlagelloMusic.Allrightsreserved. PublishedbyJustaeoryPress|www.justatheorypress.com
(2024,arr.2025)
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Flagello:DroughtsandDownpours ScoreandParts JAT-110-034.01-SP