Apples, Bees, and Ordnance

(2017) 20' / for alto saxophone, accordion, and violoncello

Commissioned by the Trio SÆITENWIND, Jonas Tschanz, Olivia Steimel, and Karolina Öhman and premiered by them on December 2nd, 2017 in Basel, Switzerland

Composer's note

I often, but not always, hear music as sculpture, as a physical object that changes its form and viewing angle while listening. My most emotional musical moments are those relating to form and structure, rather than devolvement and tension release. This phenomenon is one of my greatest joys in music but occurs only in absolute music – music without words or extramusical connotations – such as The Art of Fugue by J.S. Bach. My Apples, Bees, and Ordnance, written for the Trio SÆITENWIND, is a work in three movements and, as the title suggests, each movement is based on a relatively simple, distinct form or object. This formal simplicity is paired with a game-like interplay amongst the three musicians, one member giving impulses and signals to which the other two react in accord. Virtuosity lies here more in the communication within the trio than in fast runs and difficult rhythms, although there are plenty of those, too. It was my goal to give these three musicians a platform for their sensitivity to those fine nuances, which makes chamber music many musicians’ favorite concert form and an exciting concert experience for the listener.
– Mike Svoboda, November 2017