The Summer Triangle

for clarinet, violin and piano (2015)

The Summer Triangle is a portrait of my stay in the Utah desert as represented by the nightly procession of a seasonal asterism. The five movements of the piece, played together without pause, reflect on individual aspects as well as more general sentiments experienced during that time.

I. The Veneer of Spring

II. Isosceles

III. Dry Heat is a cadenza for solo piano. The title draws from the common remark that the dry heat of the desert is more bearable than high humidity heat. This may be true for some, but the heat of the desert is stifling in its own, oven-like way and can be insidious in the false sense of comfort it presents. This movement projects a similar quality. Along with the demanding physical challenges of performing the piece, the crackling, staccato passages and dense, rapid arpeggios depict something both urgent and ominous.