Score

ProgRam Note

The title of this work, Score, is an intentional play on words. “Score” is the term that describes the sheet music that the conductor reads as they conduct the orchestra. In non-musical terms, it can also mean an amount of 20. The initial impetus of this commission was for Leshnoff to compose a work in honor of the IRIS Orchestra’s 20th anniversary, hence, the double meaning of the title for “20” and “sheet music.” ROCO Founder and Artistic Director Alecia Lawyer’s endless enthusiasm and passion for new music brought the ROCO’s welcome participation as a co-commissioner of this work. All said and done, the title of this new work brings mischievous chaos to orchestral librarians and conductors alike as they ask for the “score of Score” or “parts for Score,” all of which brings a devilish smile to the composer’s face.

This short, whirlwind concert-opener is based on two ideas. The first is rapid arpeggios that relay from one woodwind instrument to another. After several such cascades, the music cadences and then commences the second idea, a jovial melody in neo-Classical style. For the remainder of the composition, both ideas compete for attention until they both merge as one in the final minute.