Morning Mood(y)
saxophone quartet
Duration: 5'
Premiered by Calliope Quartet
Thyme Shi (sop.) Sunny Wu (al.) Sean Krause (tn.) Emma Porter (br.)
Roy Barnett Hall, April 25, 2025
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Everyone know's Grieg's 'Morning Mood', a peaceful work depicting the rising sun,
evoking a serene calm. My average morning however, is not like this. I am always awaken
by a blaring alarm clock, rushing out the door, getting caught in traffc in a crammed bus
and darting to work or school, leaving me in a constant state of stress and panic. Despite
this, I still try to and moments of peace on my commute whether its the beauty of the rising
sun, or the earthy scent of petrichor. You can say my mornings are always moody.
The music is hurried, overlapping with loud bangs and crashes constantly interrupting
each other. Harsh sounds of trills, growls and multiphonics cut through the interweaving
lines, giving a rough and aggressive texture. But a contrasting idea arises with a +owing
rhythm and long colorful lines with a stable harmony, more serene and searching for peace.
And as the turbulence of the from the beginning returns, the two ideas clash and combine
often borrowing material and assmilating one another. As the contrasting feelings battle we
are left wondering which will take over us, stress or peace?