In a whirlwind week filled with the debut of my new show “Music from Humans,” Chinese New Year celebrations, and Super Bowl excitement, I managed to complete my composition ahead of the deadline. This piece is part of a unique tribute for the SFCCO’s memorial concert, Leaving a Mark, for Dr. Mark Alburger, where composers were invited to create a two-minute variation based on themes from his opera, Antigone.
Delving into Antigone’s Musical Legacy
Dr. Alburger described Antigone as a “grid” opera, inspired by Mozart’s The Magic Flute, yet distinctly marked by rebellion—transforming major keys to minor, quickening slow tempos, and infusing rhythms with syncopation. It draws from a vast array of musical influences, from Philip Glass and J.S. Bach to ’70s pop and beyond, weaving them into a unique musical narrative.
In my composition, the echoes of Philip Glass and the unmistakable inverted BACH motif are predominant. Mark’s music often possessed a crystalline quality, which I aimed to highlight, alongside a middle section that served as a lament, a personal tribute to Mark’s influence on me.
Mark Alburger's theme from Antigone
The Challenge of Brevity
Condensing my vision into a mere two minutes was a formidable task. My initial intro took up nearly half the allotted time, prompting a meticulous process of distillation to ensure every note contributed to the narrative within the tight constraints.
A Deep Dive into Composition
In crafting the introduction, I chose to echo Mark’s style with a Glass-inspired beginning, yet I ventured further by inverting it and extending the measure lengths as a variation on his idea.
Beginning of Mark’s Overture to Antigone.
Beginning of my variation.
Drawing from my previous work, I attempted to encode Mark’s name in Morse code within the composition. This required some adjustment from my initial idea. The solution came through doubling the note values and distilling the homage to just his first name, boldly carried by the brass section, creating a powerful and vibrant contrast against the minimalist backdrop.
My lament section.
Transitioning into the lament, I deliberately slowed the pace, while maintaining the inverted BACH motif and Glass’s harmonic accompaniment. Here, I introduced a personal touch by integrating my surname in Morse code, with the alto sax and bassoon leading this segment. These instruments, which I frequently played in Mark’s compositions, added a deeply personal layer to the tribute.
The composition circles back to its introductory motifs and tempo, leading to a brass-led finale that I believe Mark would have appreciated. In this work, the brass and woodwinds each take their lead in their respective sections, mirroring the dual nature of Mark’s musical legacy—the bold and the introspective.
Anticipation and Reflection
As I await the ensemble of variations from fellow composers, the anticipation of weaving these diverse tributes into a cohesive concert piece grows. This process has been a profound journey, not just in honoring Dr. Alburger’s musical innovations but also in exploring the depths of my creative expression.
The Road Ahead
With several tasks still pending for the concert on March 16th, including creating printed scores and final preparations for the orchestra, I’m readying myself for our first rehearsal. Once these are in hand, I plan to return to the project I had to momentarily set aside. This process, from conception to completion, has been a profound reminder of the power of music to honor and remember, to encapsulate the essence of a remarkable individual like Dr. Mark Alburger.
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