Sugar Maple Cosmica

Composed in 2009, Sugar Maple Cosmica is a work that I wrote to both celebrate and bring to attention one of our most beautiful native trees. The Sugar Maple has been the subject of writers, poets, and journalists throughout the history of New England , and as a composer who hails from the same region I wanted to make a contribution to that tradition. In a general sort of way, the music flows through a series of movements that have descriptive titles. All sections are creative explorations of some singular aspect inspired by Sugar Maples; whether physical (Palisade Cells Absorbing Sunlight) or metaphorical (The Memory of Sugar Maples), each movement focuses on a distinct set of expressive and sonic explorations that are bound together by a general thread of melodic lines and motives.The piece calls for flute, alto flute and piccolo. The percussion instruments include bass drum, snare, some good sounding cymbals and a variety of kitchen items.Commissioned by Paul Lustig Dunkel Paul Lustig Dunkel, flute, Joseph Passaro. Premiere: December 7, 2009, NYC.