Luminosity

I recently gave a listening presentation in class and I set out to get out of my comfort zone, and search for works that I had never heard. Once parameter I gave myself was to include works by female composers. Now, in 2019 I would be essentially be ‘preaching to the choir,’ in saying that we need more works by women composers, I am no hero there.

What probably should have been obvious given the strong male bias in music history, but wasn’t, is that I had a very difficult time finding diverse works by female composers. When I posed the question to my colleagues “What brass ensemble pieces do you know by female composers?” The almost unanimous response was Joan Tower, who has undoubtedly made a big impact on brass repertoire, having several works for various brass ensembles. However, this is normally the only composer they are able to come up with.

I am not asserting that one cannot find brass ensemble pieces by female composers, but it is nowhere near on the same level as male composers. What I would like to do with this post is highlight a really cool piece that I found by Composer Jessica Meyer

I would highly encourage anybody to listen to her stuff - it’s great!

I would like to share with you her piece Luminosity for Brass Quintet. Here is her program note taken from the soundcloud link below

“Luminosity" explores how brass instruments can convey the essence of various forms of light, both visible and invisible. While combining both expected and unexpected colors and textures that are unique to brass instruments, this work strives to capture a series of moments - from light that illuminates certain aspects of nature to the ineffable kind that radiates from within a particular person. Commissioned by the Women Composers Festival of Hartford for its 2016 Festival, premiered by the Nautilus Brass.”

This piece features a nice blend of modern compositional practices (extended techniques, disjunct rhythms, dissonance) to beautiful arching melodic lines (often with interjections underneath from the rest of the ensemble.

Anyway - Here is a link to the piece, I hope you enjoy

https://soundcloud.com/jessica-meyer-55/luminosity-for-brass-quintet-by-jessica-meyer