The Long and Short of It

Description

Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb, Horn in F, Bassoon — Performance NotesThe Long and Short of It was inspired by the third movement Adagio of Mozart’s Serenade for Winds K. 361. I’ve long felt that the throbbing accompaniment was the ultimate expression of breath in music. Nothing else quite captures the same sense of wind instruments inhaling and exhaling as only winds can. The work consists of nine movements, a Prelude, a Postlude and three short Interludes, each consisting of Mozart’s rhythm accompanying a solo for a different instrument in the quintet. There are four short main movements, each of which is more abstractly ‘about’ a musical concept: rhythm, harmony, counterpoint. The Long and Short of It was commissioned by The Library of Congress’ Carolyn Royall Just Fund and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. —Paul Lansky (2015) Composed by Paul Lanksy, The Long and Short of It for Wind Quintet was inspired by the third movement of Mozart’s Serenade for Winds, K. 361. Lanksy was particularly drawn to Mozart’s accompaniment, which he refers to as “the ultimate expression of breath in music. Nothing else quite captures the same sense of wind instruments inhaling and exhaling as only winds can.” Five of the movements in Lansky’s composition use Mozart’s rhythm accompanying a solo, and the remaining four movements focus on musical concepts such as rhythm, harmony, and counterpoint. This piece was commissioned by The Library of Congress’ Carolyn Royall Just Fund and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.