Music Theory Colloquium: Grayson Eichmeier

The Intersections of Form and Motive in David Maslanka's 'Quintet for Winds no. 2'

Abstract: In my talk, I analyze motive and form in David Maslanka’s “Quintet for Winds no. 2”. Maslanka establishes thematic unity between all three movements of the piece through recurring motives and weaves these motives seamlessly throughout ternary and alternating variation forms. The wind quintet provides Maslanka an ensemble with which to colorfully highlight his motives.

David Maslanka (1943-2017) was a prolific American composer famous for his vast output of symphonies, wind ensemble music, concerti, choral works, and chamber music. Among the chamber works are four wind quintets, each containing a wealth of imaginative musical ideas. Despite their popularity amongst performers, however, Maslanka’s wind quintets remain largely overlooked in music theory academia. I hope my project serves to direct more scholarly interest towards these incredible pieces.

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Admission is free and open to the public.