'Whirlwind' for Woodwind Quintet by Daniel Burwasser. $24.00. Imagine Music Publishing.
COMPOSER’S NOTES
The traditional woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn and bassoon) presents the composer with a fascinating opportunity to blend sonorities and timbres. This woodwind quintet, Whirlwind, was written in 2014. In many ways, I have taken the Classical form as my model. It is a three movement work in the standard fast-slow-fast structure, and although I label the movements merely with their tempo markings: I. q = 84; II. q = 70; III. q = 100.
I aspire to a venerable tradition, including a rondo like finale that, I would hope, honors Haydn. The first movement is based on a single lyrical theme that is stated throughout by each member of the ensemble in whole or in part. The second movement is a slow ternary form and features long expressive melodic lines. The title has no programmatic implication,
rather, it expresses my essential interest in momentum and expressive concision in my musical style.
