Fit to Live, a flexible form concerto for wind ensemble

This work is a flexible form concerto for trumpet and wind ensemble. It consists of several fixed sections, or modules, that can be put together in several specific pre-determined ways to create various versions of the piece depending on a soloist or ensemble's desires or logistical needs. The inspiration for the piece comes from two visits: one to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York, and one to the Perot Museum in Dallas. At the AMNH, four quotes from Teddy Roosevelt encircle the main rotunda as you enter the building. These marble-etched words infuse the experience of the subsequent exhibits with the adventurous spirit and sense of wonder that Roosevelt had for the natural world. The pacing, rhythm and contour of these words serve as the basis for all of the musical material in the piece. At the Perot Museum in Dallas, the entire experience as a visitor is carefully crafted via the architecture of the building itself. There are two choices in how to experience the museum: taking the stairs up each of the four floors one-by-one, or taking an escalator to the top floor and working downwards. The form or 'route' of the music is drawn from the architecture of this building. Each portion of the piece represents a different set of exhibits on each floor of the building, but there are only two main 'route' choices. By limiting some of the formal possibilities, the piece achieves a balance of stability and flexibility. While the pieces resulting from these various routes are strikingly different, they each draw a similar musical conclusion overall, which is to say, a sense of wonder and awe. This music is intended to be hopeful, optimistic, if not a little unsettling. Whichever route is taken through the piece, there is always something left to explore and to learn within the music—much in the same way as the pursuits of scientific and historical knowledge

Name thesis:degree_name

D.M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Music Composition (UMKC)

Grantor

University of Missouri--Kansas City

Year dc:date.issued

2014

Author dc:creator

• Pulatie, Leah Sproul

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Mobberley, James

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10355/43707

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/43707