''Loose Id'' is a single-movement composition for
brass quintet and
percussion—later expanded for
orchestra—by the American composer
Steven Bryant. The original brass quintet version premiered November 1995 at the
University of North Texas and the full orchestral version premiered at
Alice Tully Hall,
New York City on April 1, 1997, with
conductor
Conductor or conduction may refer to:
Music
* Conductor (music), a person who leads a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra.
* ''Conductor'' (album), an album by indie rock band The Comas
* Conduction, a type of structured free improvisation ...
Jeffrey Milarsky
Jeffrey Milarsky is a conductor of contemporary music in New York City.
In the United States and abroad, he has premiered and recorded works of composers including Charles Wuorinen, Milton Babbitt, Elliott Carter, Lasse Thoresen, Gerard Grisey, ...
leading the Juilliard Symphony. The piece was Bryant's first composition for orchestra.
[ Bryant, Steven]
Steven Bryant: Loose Id (1995)
''StevenBryant.com''. Retrieved April 28, 2015.[ Bryant, Steven]
Steven Bryant: Loose Id for Orchestra (1996)
''StevenBryant.com''. Retrieved April 28, 2015.
Composition
In the program notes for the work, Bryant described the inspiration for the work, writing:
Instrumentation
The brass quintet version of ''Loose Id'' is scored for two
trumpets,
French horn,
trombone,
bass trombone
The bass trombone (german: Bassposaune, it, trombone basso) is the bass instrument in the trombone family of brass instruments. Modern instruments are pitched in the same B♭ as the tenor trombone but with a larger bore, bell and mouthpiece to ...
, and percussion (
timpani and
ride cymbal).
The orchestral expansion of the piece is scored for
piccolo
The piccolo ( ; Italian for 'small') is a half-size flute and a member of the woodwind family of musical instruments. Sometimes referred to as a "baby flute" the modern piccolo has similar fingerings as the standard transverse flute, but the so ...
, two
flutes, two
oboes, two
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
s,
bass clarinet
The bass clarinet is a musical instrument of the clarinet family. Like the more common soprano B clarinet, it is usually pitched in B (meaning it is a transposing instrument on which a written C sounds as B), but it plays notes an octave bel ...
, two
bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...
s,
contrabassoon
The contrabassoon, also known as the double bassoon, is a larger version of the bassoon, sounding an octave lower. Its technique is similar to its smaller cousin, with a few notable differences.
Differences from the bassoon
The reed is consi ...
, four French horns, three trumpets, three trombones (two tenor trombones and bass trombone),
tuba,
timpani, three percussionists, and
strings.
Reception
The composer
Samuel Adler lauded the piece as being "orchestrated like a virtuoso" and said "it out-'Infernal Machines' 'The Infernal Machine,'" referring to the second movement from
Christopher Rouse's triptych ''
Phantasmata
''Phantasmata'' is an orchestral triptych by the American composer Christopher Rouse. The title is derived from the works of the occultist Paracelsus, who described phantasmata as "hallucinations created by thought." Rouse, ChristopherPhantasmata ...
''.
praised the composition as "an exhilarating piece of writing that, in its short, four-minute timespan isn't likely to wear out its welcome under any circumstances."
References
{{Italic title
Compositions by Steven Bryant
1995 compositions
1996 compositions
Chamber music compositions
Compositions for symphony orchestra
20th-century classical music