Instrumentation
3 flutes (1st doubles piccolo)2 oboes & 1 E. Horn
2 Bb clarinets (both double Bs Clarinet)
2 bassoons & 1 contrabassoon
4 horns in F
3 C trumpets
2 tenor trombones
bass trombone
tuba
percussion (3 players)
timpani
harp
piano / celestra
strings
Mothership.
commissioned by the YouTube Symphony • Michael Tilson Thomas, music director premiered March 21, 2011 by the YouTube Symphony Orchestra
PROGRAM NOTES
The mothership floats high above, an orchestra pulsing rapidly with a heart of techno. At several moments in the piece, various soloists dock with the mothership, dropping in with solos both virtuosic and lyrical. The work was commissioned by Michael Tilson Thomas and the YouTube Symphony , which premiered the work in March 2011 at the Sydney Opera House in Australia.
The piece follows the form of a scherzo with double trio. But while symphonic scherzos historically play with dance rhythms such as the waltz, Mothership looks to 21st Century dance music (such as techno) to enliven its journey. The brief solos can be played as written or improvised.
Many thanks to Michael, whose mentoring greatly helped the work on many levels, and to the musicians from around the world who came together in Sydney and helped Mothership lift off.
Premier Performance Video
Practice Video for improvisors
