Trompe l’oeil
[Click image to view sample PDF score]
(wind quintet), 13 min., 2008. Commissioned by Quintet Attacca.
Premiered by Quintet Attacca, Chicago, IL
Quintet Attacca, 2008
Interview on WFMT, Chicago by Carolyn Paulin with David Smooke, and Erica Anderson and Barbara Drapcho from Quintet Attacca
I have always been fascinated by trompe l’oeil painting—by the idea that walls or ceilings could disappear into vast worlds of undying foliage and flying Cupids. I began this piece thinking about ornamental ideas spinning through the ensemble, a musical arabesque. When I realized that the musical term “arabesque” is also a synonym for the “simulated foliage” found in these murals, the title of this work became clear. A playful grooving section follows the free-flowing opening, marked “Dancing Cupids.” This leads into a more somber exploration of instrumental color, “Ultramarine,” and then into a conclusion reprising previously presented music.