Two Metamorphoses for Bassoon and Wind and String Octet, by Willard Elliot. World premiere performance by Susan Splawn, bassoon, and the Florida State University Chamber Winds, Robert Duke, conductor.
A significant new piece for bassoon and chamber ensemble received its premiere at Florida State University last spring. Willard Elliot's Two Metamorphoses for Bassoon and Wind and String Octet was performed April 7, 1984 by soloist Susan Splawn and the FSU Chamber Winds, conducted by Professor Bob Duke. The work, written in two movements and scored for four wind and four string instruments, employs quarter-tones in all parts and makes very effective use of special instrumental colors and textural contrasts.
The ensemble proved supple under Duke's baton, skillfully bringing out Elliot's light scoring and dramatic rhythmic and timbral gestures. Some passages reminded one of early Schoenberg: the ethereal opening sounding much like " Farben " in the Five Pieces for Orchestra, and the scoring and harmony at several places recalling the Kammersinfonien.
I was especially taken, however, with the variety of colors evoked in the bassoon part. Ms. Splawn, a doctoral-level student of William Winstead, showed superb dynamic control, surprisingly even quality in the quarter-tone passages, and a lovely vibrato. The bassoon harmonics, produced as twelfths over the lowest notes on the instrument, were absolute magic, riveting one's attention on the expressive, plaintive melodic line.
In addition to the notated quarter-tones, other microtonal intervals were achieved in the horn and string parts by the arpeggiated use of natural harmonics, including the "out-of-tune" sevenths and higher partials. The second movement, a kind of rondo that culminated in a fugato, did not use quarter-tones but featured instead extensive textural contrast and rescoring of the rondo sections.
Bravi, Mr. Elliot and Ms. Splawn! Let's hope to hear more performances of this very effective new work.
About the reviewer...
Dr. Ronald Wirt is Assistant Professor of Music, Columbus College, Columbus, Georgia 31993-2399.