Commissioned by the American Composers Orchestra
Flute(dbl.Piccolo)
Oboe
ClarinetinBb
Bassoon
HorninF
TrumpetinBb
BassTrombone
Timpani
Percussion:
Woodblocks
TempleBlocks
Triangle
SuspendedCymbals
DrumSet
Tambourine
Bongos
BassDrum
Harp
Piano
SoloWindQuintet:
Flute
Oboe
ClarinetinBb
Bassoon
HorninF
Strings
Phenomenal Women –ConcertoforWindQuintet(2018) CommissionedbytheAmericanComposersOrchestra
Phenomenal Women isunique.Itisaconcertoforwindquintet,rareinitself,butitisalsoalarge-scaleorchestralworkthatcelebrates theaccomplishmentsofwomen.CommissionedfortheImaniWindstoperformwiththeAmericanComposersOrchestra,theworkis abittersweetvaledictionforValerieColeman,whodecidedwhile composingthepiecetoretirefromthegroupaftermorethantwenty yearsastheflutistoftheensemble.Thesixmovementsportraywomenfromallbackgrounds,everyonewithadistinctivestorytotell. Eachmovementfeaturesaninstrumentofthewindquintetusedtodepictthecentralfigure.Therearewomenmathematiciansand athletes,womenfromtheworldsofpoliticsandpoetry,womentravelingfromonesocietyto anotherinsearchofanewhome.The themeisoneofwomentranscending.
MovementI:MayaAngelou(1928-2014)–TheQuintet
TheindividualwhohelpsColemansetthesedisparatewomenintofocusandallowshertobeginthemusicaljourneyisMaya Angelou,thegreatAfrican-Americanwriter.Perhapsbest-rememberedforhermemoir I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,Angelou wasthecelebratedauthorofnumerousautobiographies,poetrycollections,plays,spokenrecordalbums,andarecipientofthe PresidentialMedalofFreedom.ThetitleofthepiecewasinspiredbyAngelou’spoem“PhenomenalWoman,”ahymntothemultifacetednatureofwomankindthatuseslanguagewhichisatoncesensual,powerful,andmysterious.Themovementisinthreeparts, withthelattertwosectionsutilizingthetitularpoem.Colemancapturesthevoluptuousnatureofthepoemwithahintofacalypso dance.Thestringsectionisfeaturedintheopeningportionofthemovement,whichreferstothepoem“AndStillIRise,”adefiant refusaltobeignored,beaten,orbroken.ThesoulfulfinalsectionisreminiscentofAngelou’spoem“Elegy,”ameditationonthe repeatedsacrificeofwomankind;theygiveeverythingtheyhaveinordertowatchtheirchildrengrowandprosper.Allthe instrumentsofthewindquintetplayaroleinthismovement,beingembeddedinthechamberorchestratexture.
MovementII:KatherineJohnson(b.1918)–OboeSolo
Therecentfilm Hidden Figures exploresthestoryofthefemaleAfrican-AmericanmathematicianswhoworkedforNACA(the precursortoNASA)inthe1950s,calculatingbyhandthetrajectoryofourspacecapsulesastheyexitedtheirorbitsaroundtheEarth andre-enteredtheatmosphere.KatherineJohnsonovercamevirulentracismandsexismtobecomewhatwasreferredtoasa“human computer.”EvenafterNASAswitchedtodigitalcomputers,Johnsoncontinuedtocalculatetrajectoriesforimportantmissionssuchas theApollo13missionin1970.YouwillhearMorsecodetappingoutthewords“HiddenFigures.”Thelaunching,orbit,andlanding ofthespacecraftisaudible,asisthetensionoftheindividualswaitinginthecommandcenter.
MovementIII:SerenaWilliams(b.1981)–BassoonSolo
SerenaWilliamsisoneofthegreattennisplayersofourtime,havingbeenrankedthenumberonefemaleplayereighttimessince 2002.Thismovementportraysherathleticismandgrace,herdynamicenergyasshemovesaboutthecourt.Aballisbounced preparatorytotheinitialserve;everyplayerhastheirownindividualbouncepattern,andColemanattemptstocaptureWilliams’s personalbounce,portrayedbytheclackingoftempleblocks.Aglissandoindicatestheascentoftheball,andwe’reoffasimpactis made.Theplayersvolley,andthe“oohs”and“ahs”oftheexcitedcrowdcanbeheard.Thelatterhalfofthemovementfeaturesa drivingrhythm(heardviatheinsistentdiggingbowsofthestringsection)looselyborrowedfromanearlierColemanwork Shotgun Houses.ThatpieceisatributetoMuhammadAli;Williamsshareshisgrit,hisastonishingphysicality,andhisdeterminationtobethe bestofthebest,anambitionthatbothAliandWilliamssuccessfullyfulfilled.Williams’sstory,however,isongoing.Theabruptend ofthemovementsymbolizesherunfinishedtrajectory.
MovementIV:Caravana–FluteSolo
“Caravana”referstothecaravansofimmigrantstravelingfromsouthofthebordertotheUnitedStatesinsearchofabetterlife.This movementportraysthewomenofthecaravanstravelingwiththeirbabies,hopingtoprovideafuturefortheirchildren,knowingall thewhilethattheymaybeseparatedfromtheirchildrenbyanindifferentgovernment.Colemanborrowsandelaboratesupontwo notesfromthefamous Wiegenlied ofBrahms;itisalullabysungtoachild,fullofsorrow,butfullofstrengthtoo.Theopen,honest majorchordsheardinthestringsattheendareabitofironicAmericana,representingthearrivalofthecaravanintheUnitedStates andthebeginningofanewstruggle.ThesewomenhavemadeittothePromisedLand,buttheywillbeseparatedfromtheirbabies.
MovementV:MichelleObama(b.1964)–FrenchHornSolo
Askilledlawyeranduniversityadministratorinherownright,FirstLadyMichelleObamamadechildren’shealthandwell-beingthe focusofhereffortsduringhertimeintheWhiteHouse.AsFirstLady,shemaintainedthedignityofherofficeandraiseditupinthe process.Whilewritingthismovement,ColemanrememberedtheperformancestheImaniWindsgavewithjazzsaxophonistand composerWayneShorter,recallingspecificallythenobilityofmelodicinventiondisplayedinhiscomposition Pegasus.Thismusical portraitofMichelleObamaisimbuedwiththesameausterenobility,reflectingthegraceanddignityoftheformerFirst Lady.
MovementVI:ClaressaShields(b.1995)–ClarinetSolo
ClaressaShields,atwo-timeOlympicgoldmedalistinboxing,isfromFlint,Michigan,acitywhosewatersupplywaspoisonedwith leadbytheinactionoftheMichiganstategovernment.Themovementbeginswiththedrip,drip,dripofpizzicatostringsandthe woodblock,thenharparpeggiosindicatetheflowingwatersoftheFlintRiver.Stringglissandiareheard,graduallyinfectingthepure stream,untilallthatremainsisthedeadlytoxin.TheclarinetinthismovementinitiallyrepresentstheenragedpeopleofFlint,and thentheupliftingfigureofShields,whobobsandweavestoanenergeticgroove,fightingfirstheropponentsinthering,andthenfor thepeopleofhercity.Theshoutsofadancepartyareheardintheorchestralwoodwinds(“ohohohoh!”),dissonantbutenthusiastic. Theotherinstrumentsofthequintetjoinin,andalternatewiththeorchestrainconcertogrossofashion.Thismovementwaswritten forImaniclarinetistMarkDover,himselfadiehardMichigander.
“Whenyouseemepassing/itoughttomake youproud.[…]CauseI’mawoman/Phenomenally.Phenomenalwoman/that’sme.”–from Phenomenal Woman, MayaAngelou
-NotesbyRichardMasters
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