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Suite No. 1
Suite No. 1 is a four-movement work written in memory of a friend, Edwin Erickson.
The first movement, Prelude, opens and closes with the rhythm of his last name, which appears as an "idee fixe" in all four movements. The Prelude is expansive and contemplative in nature. The Fantasia, in accord with Erickson's character, is boisterous and energetic, although the middle section is quiet and flowing.
The third movement, Nunc dimittis, is based on the Gregorian chant of this name. The chant begins with the words, "Oh Lord, lettest thy servant depart in peace". The melody is played three times with choral-like interludes in between, first in the solo horn, then as a flute duet, and finally as a bassoon solo.
The last movement is a Barzelletta, a comic story. Erickson was fond of telling endless shaggy-dog stories, puns, and outrageous jokes. In this movement one comic episode follows another until the quiet coda in which the episodes are reflected in tranquillity
This work has not yet been recorded professionally.
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