Cohen: Great Scott! (set of parts) for Solo Horn & Wind Ensemble

Imstrumentation: Solo Horn & Wind Ensemble
Duration:
Composed: 2004
Published by: Dunsinane Music

Composer’s Note: Great Scott! was commissioned by Mary Ann Craig, Director of Bands at Montclair State University for the MSU Wind Ensemble, and is dedicated to Mr. Jeffrey Scott. A work in one movement, Great Scott! may be heard as a stream of consciousness in the mind of the soloist. The work opens with the soloist quietly reflecting. The remnants of a dance tune are heard in the lower brass, as if from a radio, and the soloist unselfconsciously incorporates this material into his musings. He is joined by the ensemble, which reiterates and makes emphatic the soloist’s reflections. A variation of the dance tune, now integrated with the soloist’s ideas, is heard in the saxophones, soon joined by the French horn, gradually leading to a quieter section that again incorporates and expands the gathering musical materials. This leads to the central, lyric section of the piece—where the soloist returns to his initial musings, now amplified by the ensemble. This time, the dance music is not heard separately—in essence, it has been re-constructed by the soloist with contributions from the ensemble. A fanfare-like section follows, featuring brass and timpani. After a brief pause, the opening material is heard a final time, now with an active, rapid surface, as the piece rushes to a close.