Wolf Rounds
Encyclopedia
Wolf Rounds is a musical composition for wind ensemble by American composer Christopher Rouse. It was commissioned by the University of Miami
-Frost Wind Ensemble and its conductor, Gary Green
, who premiered the work at Carnegie Hall
, New York
, on March 29, 2007. Wolf Rounds was completed in Baltimore, Maryland on October 16, 2006 and lasts approximately seventeen minutes in performance. It is scored for piccolo, two flutes, three oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (five players), and string bass (amplified).
Wolf Rounds marks the first piece Rouse has written for wind ensemble. Green
had previously approached Rouse about a piece for the Wind Ensemble. Rouse initially said no ("I thought I would miss my strings"), but later changed his mind. The piece uses a circular motive
found throughout, and its original title was "Loops". Rouse dismissed the title as bland and prosaic, but the Latin
word lupus ("wolf") came to mind, reminding him of how a wolf, when hunting
, circles its prey. These predatory rounds resemble the circular motive that the piece weaves throughout the ensemble.
Rouse notes in the program notes to the piece that,
Program Notes for Wolf Rounds
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
-Frost Wind Ensemble and its conductor, Gary Green
Gary Green (conductor)
Gary Green is an American conductor, specializing in the wind band.Green is a champion of new music for the wind band, and has commissioned works by such composers as Eric Whitacre, Michael Colgrass, Kenneth Fuchs, David Maslanka, Mark Camphouse, and Christopher Rouse...
, who premiered the work at Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States, located at 881 Seventh Avenue, occupying the east stretch of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street and West 57th Street, two blocks south of Central Park....
, New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, on March 29, 2007. Wolf Rounds was completed in Baltimore, Maryland on October 16, 2006 and lasts approximately seventeen minutes in performance. It is scored for piccolo, two flutes, three oboes, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, baritone saxophone, bass saxophone, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (five players), and string bass (amplified).
Wolf Rounds marks the first piece Rouse has written for wind ensemble. Green
Gary Green (conductor)
Gary Green is an American conductor, specializing in the wind band.Green is a champion of new music for the wind band, and has commissioned works by such composers as Eric Whitacre, Michael Colgrass, Kenneth Fuchs, David Maslanka, Mark Camphouse, and Christopher Rouse...
had previously approached Rouse about a piece for the Wind Ensemble. Rouse initially said no ("I thought I would miss my strings"), but later changed his mind. The piece uses a circular motive
Motif (music)
In music, a motif or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition....
found throughout, and its original title was "Loops". Rouse dismissed the title as bland and prosaic, but the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word lupus ("wolf") came to mind, reminding him of how a wolf, when hunting
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
, circles its prey. These predatory rounds resemble the circular motive that the piece weaves throughout the ensemble.
Rouse notes in the program notes to the piece that,
"My concept of the work was to introduce a series of "circular" musical ideas that would repeat over and over until metamorphosing to a new idea that would then also be repeated in the same fashion until becoming yet another. These musics would be of different lengths so that their repeated overlaps would produce a constantly changing sonic landscape. Sometimes these ideas would repeat verbatim; at other times there would be gradual but constant development within each repetition. Some instruments would introduce new musics while others would continue to repeat their material for a longer period of time before moving on to a new idea."
Program Notes for Wolf Rounds