Christopher Coleman
Divertimento for Woodwind Trio (1978)
II. Rustic Dance
III. Love Song
IV. Urban Dance
duration ca.9:50
Instrumentation
oboe, Bb clarinet, bassoon
Program note
A light-hearted four-movement suite, my Divertimento came upon its title through sheer popular acclaim--while researching woodwind trios of earlier composers, I noticed that the vast majority were divertimenti, and thought I would stick with a good thing. The Prelude begins with a doubly dotted rhythm alluding to the historical French Overture, then introduces a short chromatically twisting figure and finally superimposes the two ideas. Inspired by Bartok, my Rustic Dance takes a simple tune in 7/8 through its paces. The Love Song counterpoints a lyric song with a rising chromatic line, and is dedicated to my wife (then girlfriend) Lorrie. Finally, the highly syncopated Urban Dance converts a 12-tone melody into a jazzy fugato. The Divertimento for Woodwind Trio was premiered by Karen Bradley, oboe; Patricia Ewing, clarinet; and Sandra Howard, bassoon on May 8, 1979 at the University of Georgia.