235A29B0-311E-4327-991E-90F170C5D9F7

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ID235A29B0-311E-4327-991E-90F170C5D9F7
TitlecodeX632714
Title NameCompass Points (Puentos en la Brujula) for Clarinet, Violin and Piano
Marketing CopyCompass Points was commissioned by Trio Verdehr and Michigan State University. The title of the work alludes to the fact that each of its three movements was composed in a different geographical location. The movements do not follow any particular program but each inevitably unfolds under the spell of a different state of mind or circumstance associated with each particular locale. The titles of the movements are: 1. Verde que te quiero Verdehr 2. In memoriam (Robert Avalon) 3. Scherzarengue.
InstrumentationClarinet, Violin, Piano
CommissionCommissioned by Trio Verdehr and Michigan State University
Dedication(not set)
Program NotesProgram Notes

Compass Points was commissioned by Trio Verdehr and Michigan State University. The title of the work alludes to the fact that each of its three movements was composed in a different geographical location. The movements do not follow any particular program but each inevitably unfolds under the spell of a different state of mind or circumstance associated with each particular locale. The titles of the movements are:

I. Verde que te quiero Verdehr
II. In memoriam (Robert Avalon)
III. Scherzarengue

The first movement was composed while I was a Fellow at the Civitella Ranieri Center in Umbria, Italy. The sound is luscious, damp and intensely green, like the landscape one experiences in this part of the world during the month of May. Verde que te quiero verde (Green, because a want you green) is the title of a famous poem by Spaniard Federico Garcia Lorca. The similarity between the word verde (Spanish for green) and the name Verdehr didn't escape me. The second movement, composed in Bloomington, IN, was conceived as a tribute to pianist and composer Robert Avalon, director and soul of Houston’s Foundation for Modern Music until his premature death in April of 2004. I had the strange fortune of meeting and spending time with him as guest of the Foundation only days before he passed away. The title of the third movement is a made-up name that merges the terms scherzo and merengue. Scherzarengue is based on a typical fast riff found in merengue, a fast, duple-meter dance from Dominican Republic. In traditional merengue these fast riffs are usually played on a saxophone (more recently replaced by electric guitar) and they make wonderful sources for variations. The character of this last movement reflects the hectic life my wife and I led during the fall of 2005 in the midst of moving to East Lansing, starting new jobs, and expecting our youngest son Niklas.
Title Brand2
Year Composed2005
Copyright Number(not set)
Copyright Year(not set)
Duration15
Ensemble Size3
Date Created2012-11-07 20:33:14.000000
Date Updated2025-09-30 20:33:14
Inhouse Note(not set)
Bsc Code(not set)
Text Author(not set)
Premier Performance Memo(not set)
Recording Credits(not set)
Review(not set)
Awards(not set)
Title Category2
Title MovementsI. Verde que te quiero Verdehr
II. In memoriam (Robert Avalon)
III. Scherzarengue
Title Grade(not set)
Set Series ID(not set)
Title Instrument Category TextTrio
Title Sub Category Text(not set)
Title Sub Category-1
Title Instrument Header18
Title Grade Text(not set)
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