Crencent City tableaux : an original composition for wind ensemble

Abstract

Crescent City Tableaux is an original omposition in three movements for wind ensemble that portrays aspects of the city of New Orleans. The fifteen-­‐minute composition uses musical quotation and jazz-­‐influenced styles within an essentially tonal idiom to create a musical tribute to that city. The first movement, “Jackson Square,” introduces melodic and rhythmic motives and sets the tone for the rest of the piece. The second movement, “‘I understand that somewhere it has rained,’” addresses the sadness and anger caused by Hurricane Katrina. The thirdmovement, “Second Line,” celebrates the brass band and Mardi Gras Indian traditions of New Orleans. The accompanying document provides a review of relevant literature for the wind ensemble and symphony band, an analysis of Donald Grantham’s J’ai été au bal and the third movement of Michael Daugherty’s Lost Vegas, and a discussion of the music that is quoted in the work. Analytical essays on each of the three movements discuss structural features, motivic processes, and compositional techniques.