Three Expeditions
for euphonium and piano, by Ethan Wickman
PUBLISHED BY POTENZA MUSIC
Duration: 13 minutes
Program note:
Three Expeditions is a collection and adaptation of the three solo movements from my work Summit, originally commissioned by Drs. Jerry and Barbara Young for premiere at the 2010 International Tuba Euphonium Conference. That work, as premiered by Brian Bowman, Neal Corwell, Steven Mead, John Mueller and David Werden requires substantially more forces (five euphoniums, piano, and prayer bowls) than are often available for most opportunities at most venues. The present work allows for an artistically satisfying transformation of its parent, offering the willing soloist an opportunity to perform a completely new work in a very practical, though no less exciting, way.
The title, a reference to the aforementioned Summit, also connotes the thrill of strenuous climbs to distant peaks. Growing up in the western United States, I was fascinated with mountains: their rugged beauty, their surprising variety, and the secrets known only to those who would venture beyond the well-worn trials. Like its predecessor, the work at hand represents a set of pieces with vast physical and artistic demands that evoke mountains both literal and figurative.
The first movement, “Strange Departures,” generates drama through the juxtaposition of sections of contrasting character, drawing a listener down unexpected paths. Initially composed for Neal Corwell, much of the movement’s pitch material was derived from a 12-tone row based on pitches from the name C-O-R-W-E-L-L. By assigning letters from the alphabet between 0 and 11, a name can literally generate a melody.
The second movement (originally written for Brian Bowman), “Moriah,” is largely plaintive and serene. The title refers to the mountain of biblical fame where it is said that Abraham went to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. Much of the movement features imitation between soloists and piano, as the soloist follows the pianist’s winding path in and through new harmonic areas. Set in a tonal, yet harmonically meandering pitch fabric, the general direction of the tessitura is up—until the arrival of an unanticipated interruption, as the story goes….
Emerging from the placidity of the foregoing movement, “Olympus” represents an assault on a mythological mountain and is an angular and physical test of character. Based on a series of notes derived from the name M-E-A-D (surname of Steven Mead, for whom the movement was initially written), in actuality a 3-note cell comprised of a major third, minor third, and minor second, the movement pits the player against seemingly insurmountable odds: register, breath, tempo, rhythm, etc. In summary, the sentiment is reminiscent of the reckless bit of fun one might find scrambling breathlessly over boulders in a steep ascent.
Concert Premiere: November 4, 2010 by euphoniumist Steven Mead, and pianist Barbara Young