Description
Adaptable chamber winds. Duration: 2’20”
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Flex Tango (Full Ensemble)
Flex Tango (Advanced Ensemble)
Flex Tango (Intermediate Ensemble)
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Composer’s Notes
Flex Tango was composed in the fall of 2020 and is my first attempt at flexible scoring for winds (hence the unusual title). The work is scored for five parts with simplified options (Parts 1A- 5A) for each part. Each part has been adapted to be played by any instrument, so the tango can be rehearsed by whatever five (or more) wind musicians happen to be available. The percussion and piano parts are optional, and a pianist may also choose to just play the left hand, essentially doubling Part 5. The level of difficulty is appropriate for good high school and college players.
It seems to me that the harmonic structure and rhythmic peculiarities of a tango might be particularly well suited for flexible instrumentation. While it is preferred that the idiosyncratic bass line (Part 5 or 5A) be played by lower pitched instruments, interesting textures and sonorities will result when middle range or higher pitched instruments are chosen to play that part, in which case it might also sound higher than the melody (Part 1 or 1A). The flexible scoring option for Flex Tango enables a wide variety of textures from one performance to the next, depending on the instrument assigned to each part, and those choices add to the mystery (and the fun!) of rehearsing and performing the work.
