esencia (2017) — Score

Sinfonietta:

• Piccolo, flute, alto flute

• Oboe, English horn

• Clarinet in Bb

• Bass clarinet in Bb

• Bassoon, contrabassoon

• Horn in F

• Trumpet in C

• Bass trombone

• Percussion 1: marimba, anvil, snare drum, 2 tenor drums, concert bass drum

• Percussion 2: vibraphone, crotales (C3–G3), xylophone, ride with sizzler, temple blocks

• Piano

• Violin I

• Violin II

• Viola

• Violoncello

• Contrabass

Approx. 10 minutes.

In Spanish, two verbs carry what English collapses into a single "to be": ser and estar. Estar names a transitory state; ser, something more enduring. This distinction resurfaces often in my mind as I experience life as an immigrant. The need for adaptation and the distance from the people, land, and culture that shape one’s ser imply losing something of oneself along the way. Forgetting and remembering both become necessary in that process. This piece is an exercise in remembering — the simple things and the small acts that carry a beauty sometimes only understood in one language, the shared moments and love that shape one’s essence. Aren’t we all just memories?

Premiered by Alarm Will Sound at the Mizzou International Composers Festival in 2017.

This download includes: Digital score (PDF): esencia - Full Score.pdf