Program Note:
Overture Dodeca (dodeca referring to twelve as in dodecahedron or dodecaphonic) is a musical response to the year 2012 and its cultural significance. The year 2012 was prophesized to bring either some great apocalypse, or perhaps a new spiritual beginning for humankind. Though no event of such epic proportion has yet come to pass, our race continues to achieve great accomplishments in some areas while struggling in others. Thus, my commentary on 2012 and the visceral goal of the overture is this; to celebrate the human experience and to ruminate on what breakthroughs will inspire us next.
In May 2012, I completed my coursework as a master's degree student of Instrumental Conducting under the tutelage of Larry Livingston. Overture Dodeca is dedicated to him as a heartfelt "thank you" for his wonderful artistry, pedagogy, and mentorship.
There are several compositional components that pervade Overture Dodeca. From the chromatic tetrachord formed by the number 2012, I wrote the opening fanfare and also motivic material heard whenever the music becomes unstable. The second component is what I call Livingstonian numerology. Larry’s first name contains five letters and his last name contains ten. The primary melody of the allegro is set in a meter of five, and there are within this section a number of phrases that last five or ten bars in duration. The lyrical melody that appears in the middle of the overture is derived from the eight digits of Larry’s birth date. Finally, the use of palindromic figures in the percussion section draws inspiration from Olivier Messiaen's well-documented interest in non-retrogradable rhythms. The composer made an impact on Larry when the two spent time together in Avion, France, and so it was natural to include these Janice-faced figures. The concept of the palindrome also represents to me the idea that while our culture looks forward, we are also reflecting on our history to help contextualize the changes of the here and now.
Overture Dodeca is a through-composed programmatic work. The opening brass and percussion fanfare pays homage to the monument of human achievement, followed by melodies based on the “Larry Livingston” motivic material. The ensuing fast section represents the hustle and bustle we experience in our modern lifestyle, immersed in the mechanized exactitude of a digital world. The first climax is a momentary discovery of the self within this harried reality. A Livingstonian melody in 5/8 meter comes next, after which the music attempts to traverse the psyche of the self in search of the proceeding warm, dark melody that is played by the woodwinds. This musical spelling of Larry’s birth date is the melody of “humankind.” The 2012 motive returns in a developmental section depicting the cost of progress before the music evaporates into a dreamlike state. It has been said by cosmologists that the future of humanity lies in space, and so at this point there is a momentary gaze up into the heavens with inspirational ideas floating in and out of consciousness amidst the twinkling of the stars. The celestial imagery is suddenly broken by a reintroduction of the opening drum palindrome, followed by more 2012 development, finally arriving at the big climactic G major section—humanity in full glory. As the breadth of this climax recedes, a flute and clarinet prayer offers a final moment of reflection before the coda blazes to the end of the work...into the future.
The large orchestra version of Overture Dodeca was premiered in April 11, 2012 by the USC Thornton Concert Orchestra with the composer conducting. The medium orchestra “Downey Version” of Overture Dodeca was premiered by Sharon Lavery and the Downey Symphony Orchestra on October 20, 2012. The wind ensemble version of Overture Dodeca was premiered on December 9, 2012 by the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble with the composer conducting.
performances
03|22|2015
version for wind ensemble
Huron High School Auditorium – Ann Arbor, MI
University of Michigan Band Alumni Association Concert Band
07|26|2014
version for wind ensemble
Bowman Theater, Idyllwild Arts – Idyllwild, CA
Steve Acciani and the Idyllwild Summer Arts Festival Symphonic Band
12|09|2012
version for wind ensemble
Irvine Barclay Theatre, University of California, Irvine – Irvine, CA
Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble
04|11|2012
version for large orchestra
Bovard Auditorium, University of Southern California – Los Angeles, CA
U.S.C. Concert Orchestra
10|30|2012
version for medium orchestra
Downey Theatre – Downey, CA
Sharon Lavery and the Downey Symphony Orchestra