soprano voice and woodwind quintet (fl., ob., cl., hn., bsn.)
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Kristi Matson, soprano
Jaimie Wagner, flute Chris Wheeler, oboe Andrew Sprung, clarinet Alan Taplin, horn Cynthia Duda, bassoon Recorded live. March 30, 2022 Conrad Recital Hall | Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI |
Kristi Matson, Alan Taplin, Chris Wheeler, Jaimie Wagner, Cynthia Duda, and Andrew Sprung with composers Jamie Leigh Sampson and Andrew Martin Smith at the premiere performance in Hillsdale, MI.
(4/11/22)
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Program Note
Commissioned by the Hillsdale College Faculty Woodwind Quintet with soprano Kristi Matson in the 2019/20 Academic Year, (dys)lexical trans(fer)mission is a quasi-dramatic set of musical variations based upon the composer’s own text, which abstractly describes an artist’s process and the frustrations inherent in managing creative thoughts and impulses. The text is gradually altered throughout the composition by means of literary/poetic techniques embraced by the Ouvroir de littérature potentielle (i.e., Oulipo), as the protagonist searches for the “right” words to capture an ephemeral idea. Specifically, the "N" substitution procedure determines the replacement of selected nouns from the original poem with words, of the same grammatical function, located "N" positions away in an English Dictionary. This iterative process transforms the initial text into something that invites the audience to contemplate the potential meaning of grammatically similar, yet syntactically mysterious, poetic structures.
Poem
"Creativity"
by Andrew Martin Smith
by Andrew Martin Smith
Creativity
My own, obsessive thoughts flow
Betrayed by the pen
At gloomy daybreak
That worn, wet paper crumpled
Too trite to be seen
Somewhere in the house
A beguiling, black cat purred
Dandy distraction
Sunny afternoon
That dreary, dry ink settled
Too tough to be cleaned
Late February
This hunched, haggard figure rose
Whilst watching the moon
My own, obsessive thoughts flow
Betrayed by the pen
At gloomy daybreak
That worn, wet paper crumpled
Too trite to be seen
Somewhere in the house
A beguiling, black cat purred
Dandy distraction
Sunny afternoon
That dreary, dry ink settled
Too tough to be cleaned
Late February
This hunched, haggard figure rose
Whilst watching the moon
Full Text
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Theme:
Creativity My own, obsessive thoughts flow Betrayed by the pen At gloomy daybreak That worn, wet paper crumpled Too trite to be seen Somewhere in the house A beguiling, black cat purred Dandy distraction Sunny afternoon That dreary, dry ink settled Too tough to be cleaned Late February This hunched, haggard figure rose Whilst watching the moon |
Variation I:
Creativity My own, obsessive thrashes flow At daybreak gloomy That worn, wet paperback crumpled Trite to be seen too Somewhere on the houseboat A beguiling, black cataclysm purred Dandy distress Sunny aftertaste That dreary, dry inkling settled Late February This hunched, haggard figurehead rose Whilst watching a moonbeam |
Variation II:
Creativity My own, obsessive threads flow At gloomy daybreak To be seen too trite A beguiling, black catacomb purred Sunny afterthought That dreary, dry inkstand settled Tough to be cleaned too Late February This hunched, haggard figurine rose Whilst watching the moonlight |
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Variation III:
Creativity My own, obsessive threats flow At daybreak gloomy Be seen too trite to A beguiling, black catalogue purred That dreary, dry inkwell settled To be cleaned too tough Late February This hunched, haggard filament rose Whilst watching the moor |
Variation IV:
Creativity Betrayed by the pencil At gloomy daybreak Somewhere in my housecoat A beguiling, black catalyst purred Sunny age That dreary, dry inlay settled Late February Whilst watching the moorhen |
Variation V:
Creativity Betrayed by a pendant At daybreak gloomy That worn, wet papyrus crumpled Seen too trite to be A beguiling, black catamaran purred That dreary, dry inlet settled Be cleaned too tough to This hunched, haggard filibuster rose Whilst watching the mooring |
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Variation VI:
Creativity My own, obsessive thresholds flow Betrayed by the pendulum At gloomy daybreak A beguiling, black catapult purred Dandy disturbance Sunny agenda That dreary, dry inmate settled Cleaned too tough to be Late February This hunched, haggard filler rose Whilst watching the moorland |
Variation VII:
Whilst watching a mop Too tough to be cleaned That dreary, dry inn settled Somewhere in this household Too trite to be seen That worn, wet parable crumpled At daybreak gloomy My own, obsessive thrills flow Creativity |
Variation VIII:
Creativity My own, obsessive thrillers flow Betrayed by a penguin At gloomy daybreak A beguiling, black catastrophe purred Dandy dither Sunny agglomeration That dreary, dry inning settled Late February This hunched, haggard filling rose |
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Variation IX:
Creativity At daybreak gloomy That worn, wet parachute crumpled Dandy ditty Sunny aggregate That dreary, dry innkeeper settled Late February |
Variation X:
Creativity My own, obsessive thromboses flow At gloomy daybreak Sunny aggression That dreary, dry innocent settled Late February This hunched, haggard filly rose Whilst watching the moral |
Variation XI:
Creativity Betrayed by the penitentiary At daybreak gloomy That worn, wet parade crumpled A beguiling, black catechism purred Sunny aggressor That dreary, dry innovation settled Late February This hunched, haggard film rose |
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Variation XII:
Creativity My own, obsessive throngs flow Betrayed by the penknife At gloomy daybreak That worn, wet paradigm crumpled A beguiling, black category purred Sunny agitator That dreary, dry innovator settled Late February This hunched, haggard filter rose |
Variation XIII:
Creativity My own, obsessive throttles flow Betrayed by a pennant At daybreak gloomy That worn, wet paradox crumpled Dandy divergence Sunny agnostic That dreary, dry innuendo settled Late February Whilst watching the morality |
Variation XIV:
Creativity At gloomy daybreak That worn, wet paragon crumpled Somewhere on the houseplant A beguiling, black caterpillar purred Dandy diversion Sunny agony That dreary, dry inoculation settled Late February This hunched, haggard finale rose Whilst watching the morass |
Finale:
At daybreak gloomy
That worn, wet paragraph crumpled
Too trite to be seen
A beguiling, black caterwaul purred
Sunny agreement
That dreary, dry input settled
Late February
This hunched, haggard finalist rose
Whilst watching the moratorium…
...on creativity.
At daybreak gloomy
That worn, wet paragraph crumpled
Too trite to be seen
A beguiling, black caterwaul purred
Sunny agreement
That dreary, dry input settled
Late February
This hunched, haggard finalist rose
Whilst watching the moratorium…
...on creativity.