Where Beauty Persists

for flute and vibraphone

(2021) Duration: 6:30

PURCHASE

Video of the premiere…

VIDEO SCORE…

PROGRAM NOTE:

Composed in the summer of 2021, Where Beauty Persists defiantly seeks beauty in a time of high anxiety, widespread conflict, and increasing animosity in societies around the world. Something is very wrong today, and our natural good will and cohesiveness are breaking down at alarming rates.

Perhaps seeking beauty is not defiant. Perhaps it is compensatory, looking for solace from what feels like increasing madness. This question has preoccupied my thinking for years, but never more so than in 2021. Is seeking the beauty that persists a radical act, or is it simply aesthetic cowardice in the face of a harsh world?

Where Beauty Persists was composed for Fred Speck and the University of Louisville New Music Ensemble for the university's 2021 New Music Festival. It was premiered by Cameron Bilek (flute) and Sam Riddick (vibraphone). I'm grateful to Dr. Speck and these students for their time, energy, and wonderful musicality.

– Steve Rouse

PERFORMANCE NOTES:

– Accidentals carry through the bar, but numerous cautionary accidentals have been added for clarity.

– In the flute part, quarter note triplets are used in 6/8 to indicate three notes of equal duration per bar, or three notes over two beats. This is a non-standard notation, but I believe it's clear, perhaps clearer than the traditional options.

– In the vibraphone part, the pedaling should be followed very carefully. There are many moments when the harmonies are intentionally blurred by keeping the pedal down.