for flute, violin, viola, cello
6:30
In a world devoted to overstatement, Devotion is a single-movement work that hews closely to a very simple theme in an unassuming manner. Composed in Medieval clausula form (a type of variation in which the melody is intertwined with fragments of itself), the piece uses the flute to state its theme with three increasingly fervent variations. The three string instruments, playing the intertwining fragments, are muted and bowing over the fingerboards throughout, hovering around the flute melody in a subdued testament to fidelity.
The blend of compositional techniques in this piece, drawn from six centuries of musical evolution, conveys a sense of stylistic timelessness, resulting in a work that seemingly originates outside the course of music history.
ORDER DEVOTION:
- score and parts: American Composers Editions
- recording with flutist Ransom Wilson and Borromeo String Quartet: www.albanyrecords.com
“This is a lovely and haunting work.”
– William Thomas Walker,
CVNC