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June Emerson: Two Instrumental Portraits
A few words from Xander Hunfeld
TWO PORTRAITS
In his composition L’Indifférent, Ravel gives musically voice to a girlboy’s appearance. In his love poems, Cummings does the same poetically. Both Ravel and Cummings, unfold to us a certain kind of self-portrait. In my composition Two Portraits I emphasize their coming out. For this
reason I composed two independent melodies; one for the clarinet, the other one for soprano voice. Together they represent a mix that refers to two different worlds. In short, this is wat this composition is about. My composition Two Instrumental Portraits refers to this outcoming as well.
But here the part for the voice has been replaced by grand flute or oboe. Just as is the case with Ravel’s composition, by polymetric voice-leading it is the music itself that refers to two different worlds. In the second part, these different worlds merge at last.
X. Hunfeld, Amstelveen, November, 2020
Portrait I: Flute, Clarinet in Eb & piano
Alternative: Oboe, Clarinet in B flat & Piano
Intermezzo: Clarinet in B flat& Piano
Portrait II: Flute, Clarinet in E flat & Piano
Alternative version 1: Oboe, Clarinet in B flat & Piano
Alternative version 2: Flute, Clarinet in E flat& Piano
Alternative version 3: Oboe, Clarinet in B flat& Piano