Glass Prison, The

A challenging single-movement work for advanced ensembles, The Glass Prison employs aleatory and sound mass techniques, but within a traditional band scoring and notational paradigm.

Genre: Band | # of Players: Standard
Level: 5 | Duration: 9:00

Instrumentation
Piccolo
Flute 1
Flute 2
Oboe 1
Oboe 2
Bassoon 1
Bassoon 2
Bb Clarinet 1
Bb Clarinet 2
Bb Clarinet 3
Bb Bass Clarinet
Eb Alto Saxophone 1
Eb Alto Saxophone 2
Bb Tenor Saxophone
Eb Baritone Saxophone

Bb Trumpet 1
Bb Trumpet 2
Bb Trumpet 3
Bb Trumpet 4
F Horn 1
F Horn 2
F Horn 3
F Horn 4
Trombone 1
Trombone 2
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Baritone T.C.
Tuba

Timpani (4 drums)
Percussion 1 (Bass Drum, Snare Drum, Suspended Cymbal)
Percussion 2 (Tam-Tam, Bass Drum, Wind Chimes, Suspended Cymbal, 4 Concert Toms)
Percussion 3 (Bells, Chimes, 3-oct Vibraphone, Suspended Cymbal
Percussion 4 (2-oct Crotales, Xylophone, Chimes, 4.5-oct Marimba)

Program Notes
The Glass Prison is an eight-minute work for symphonic band composed for Dr. Carol Hayward and the Bowling Green State University Concert Band. A challenging work for collegiate ensembles, "The Glass Prison" employs aleatory and sound mass techniques, but within a traditional band scoring and notational paradigm.

The piece is cast in a single movement through-composed framework with referential relationships among the sections. The overall form is built on contrasting sections of temporal ambiguity, decisive rhythmic drive and lyrical melodies. Aleatoric gestures incorporating directed improvisation are used to create temporal ambiguity, as are sound mass techniques employing moments of dense and rhythmically complex counterpoint. The rhythmically driving sections are built on motives taken from the melodies and are at fast tempi. The lyrical melodies occur in many parts of the piece and are usually accompanied by homophonic chorales or serve as the lead line over rhythmic ostinati.

The wind band medium is a young genre whose directors actively seek out new music that stretches boundaries by employing techniques such as aleatory and sound mass. With The Glass Prison I have expanded my own compositional techniques in writing for wind band, while simultaneously contributing a challenging piece to this growing genre.

- Noah Taylor