Closing Time

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Notes

Closing Time, written partly in 2001 and finished in 2002, was composed for the new music ensemble Flexible Music. The piece explores different kinds and degrees of repetition, making dynamic formal parallels by literally repeating information from certain domains (rhythm, contour, phrase-lengths) while transforming the rest of the material. (Incidentally, the piece was originally conceived as a kind of rondo.) Through this incomplete repetition I wanted to create a complex temporal continuity that is linear but suggests non-linearity, and which is end oriented, yet contains cyclical elements.

One of the most challenging aspects of the piece for me was the handling of the electric guitar. My original (and still primary) instrument is the electric guitar, but, for some reason, I had never been able to compose for it. This work forced me to come to terms with this strange gap in my musical life, and I am grateful to guitarist Kris Ricat for encouraging me to follow through! I'd like to thank Tim, Dan, Haruka, and Eric of Flexible Music for all of their hard work.