Brooks: Concepts in Contrast (Excerpt 3)

Brooks: Concepts in Contrast (Excerpt 3)
The genesis of this composition grew out of a sympathy the composer has for neglected instrumental groups, and out of his love of unique sound worlds. Concepts in Contrast is scored for 12 cellos, 3 double basses, and percussion, including timpani, suspended cymbal, tam-tam, celesta, piano, marimba, and vibraphone. The content of the music is concerned with somewhat negative states of mind. Until 1991, Brooks' music was mostly positive, being imbued with an overall sense of optimism. But in his compositional pursuit to convey the eternal theme of good vs. evil, Brooks realized something that would prove important to his development as a mature composer -- simply, that a light shines much more brightly in the darkness.

If an in-depth study of "dark music" would enhance his future compositional attempts at contrasting good and evil, then he would soon set himself to this task. 1991 saw the completion of Devil's Fate, a portentous and threatening work for full orchestra based on a passage from the Book of Revelation. Only a month later he was hard at work on Concepts in Contrast. Originally a single movement piece titled "Agitation", Brooks soon began work on three more movements. "Dreamer's Passion", "Haunting Mood", and "Frantic Energy", which he completed in the summer of 1992, further explore darker states of mind. Even in the seemingly positive "Dreamer's Passion", the pleasantness of a daydream is subjected to strange uncertainties and ultimately the dream is denied of any resolution. All four movements are attacca, or played without a break in the music, and take the listener through a score which belies its instrumentation, leaving low strings and percussion sounding more like an orchestra.

Concepts in Contrast was premièred in Aachen in 1995 by Cellissimo, an ensemble made up of musicians from the Hochschule für Musik Köln and augmented by members of the Kölner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orchester, with Herbert Görtz conducting.

©2003

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