Pell-Mell Cou(r)ra(e)nte (2015)
trumpet and organ - 4.5 min
Originating from the 16th century, two forms of courantes co-existed with one anotehr. The Italian "Corrente" used fast triple meter, 3/4 and 3/6, while the French "Courante" tended to be much slower and alternated between 3/2 and 6/4 meters. Despite these differences and regardless of the form, composers of the time used the different spellings interchangeably, hence the combined spelling above. This short dance for trumpet and organ explores the commonalities between these two variations of the same dance and presents them in a contemporary setting.
it is important to note that hte form of a traditional courante acted only as a loose inspiration for the piece. there are, for example, ambiguous phrasing and harmonic schemes, hemiola figures, and a binary form that coincides with tradition. However, this piece is 'downbeat-oriented' which is not the case with either species of traditional courantes.
the score can be downloaded for free. please note that the music is protected by copyright. if you'd like to play the piece, feel free to get in touch with me here.
