Episodes

Description

Episodes
for oboe and piano

Duration: 13 minutes

Movements:
Episode I: PANIC
Mini-sode 1
Episode II: OUT-of-BODY
Mini-sode 2
Episode III: GAME-SHOW

Program note:

I’ve enjoyed several years now as Composer-in-Residence with the International Chamber Artists, and have been treated to performance after performance of my works at the highest level. When this happens to
a composer, it is no stretch to imagine that one would be excited to write another work for those musicians to perform.

Episodes was a chance for me to go smaller in size, after having written a large ballet-score, and almost simultaneously, my fifth symphony. My head-space was such that I was inspired to write something a little more fun and immediately palpable, as opposed to the rigors that one might need to take in an entire symphony. Panic being something constantly on a composer’s mind (when our music gets presented),

I figured: why not write about it? And so, that’s where these episodes begin. The three main movements explore exactly that: different sorts of episodes one might experience: from the nervous “panic”, to the floating “out-of-body”, to the not-so-subtle “Game-show”. In between the three main episodes, we have what I have called “Mini-sodes”, which are merely shorter expressions of a singular idea.

Though the piece will sound pleasing enough, it does not mean that the parts for oboe and piano are mere trifles. As expressed earlier, I knew I was writing for superb musicians, and the music does therefore require some “episodes” of practice in order to be executed successfully.

My sincere thanks to ICA, and to their director, Patrick Godon, for sponsoring this new work, which represents their continued support. And as always, I am grateful for their magnificent performances of my music.

~ Jim Stephenson; February 12, 2025