5*4*3 (except after C) (score & parts) - OB/CL/BSN

dedicated to the PEN Trio

From the composer:

I was lucky enough to study gamelan for several years with Indonesian master Sumarsam while I was in graduate school. As a composer, I was intrigued with the exciting pentatonic compositions in that tradition. A number of years ago, I wrote a piece for flute, piano, and bass entitled 5*4*3 (five notes for three players) that used only five pitches. I found it to be an interesting compositional challenge. In writing this new piece for the PEN Trio, I revisited the idea and began composing with a different set of five notes. As the composition unfolded, however, I felt somewhat limited by this constraint so I added a new rule, I would compose strictly pentatonic music with the caveat that I could inset the note C (not in the original scale) when it felt right. Many thanks to the wonderful musicians in the PEN Trio for commissioning and premiering this piece. 

This work has been recorded by the PEN Trio on their debut album, Found Objects: New Music for Reed Trio.