anomaly
I had the pleasure last night of seeing Glenn Kotche and the Kronos Quartet perform Kotche’s new piece, Anomaly. Kotche’s description of the piece in the liner notes is worth quoting at length.
After seeing a Kronos Quartet performance in early 2006, I got the idea to compose a string quartet. I wanted to do it from my perspective as a percussionist, treating the four members of the quartet like the varying relationships and roles of my limbs when I play the drum set. I also thought it would be interesting to arrange it with the addition of an optional drum set part. …
My closest uncle, Eddie Kotche, died around the time of that Kronos performance. I went home and improvised a short melody on the vibraphone. This would become the dominant, recurring theme in what would eventually be titled Anomaly. …
My uncle was an anomaly. He had an incredible zest for life and an uproarious sense of humor despite being severely challenged throughout his life by cerebral palsy. … After losing him, I began to think about my reliance on physical motion and coordination for my self-expression and livelihood, and about the dichotomy between our physical circumstances. …
Although the origins of Anomaly are deeply personal…I wrote the piece to be broad in its emotional range and appeal. … I wanted the individual instruments to experience both freedom and restriction. I wanted Kronos to be dependent on each other for the execution of certain melodies and musical passages. The main motif that appears in each movement is, for me, symbolic of the love and experience that those dear to us leave behind. …
As the first piece I’ve composed outside of the realm of percussion, it is for me also an anomaly.
If you’re in SF, there is another performance tonight at Herbst Theater. If you’re into this sort of thing, check out Kotche’s album Mobile, on the Nonesuch label. And for those looking for context, I’ve posted about Kotche before, in his role as the drummer for the band Wilco.