Matthew Tommasini: "Torn Canvases"
On our February concert, we will have the privilege of working with Matthew Tommasini, a young composer whose work is starting to gain traction in the wind world. The concert will feature two of his pieces, Torn Canvases and Three Spanish Songs. The next two days will feature program notes about each piece as well as full recordings of each that are available for download from his website.
Below is the program note from Torn Canvases; additional information, as well as a recording, can be accessed via Tommasini's website.
Torn Canvases is inspired by the abstract expressionist painting style of Jackson Pollock. The piece imagines a video camera panning across a large canvas made up of layers of fragmented paint drippings and splotches. The ensemble is divided into three groups on stage, each representing musical "layers" of chiming chords and fragmented jazz riffs, which are piled on one another, creating rhythmically charged collages of sound. The climax of the work comes when the entire ensemble plays together, evoking the sound of a giant bell, transforming into the sound of a driving jazz ensemble.