Bloom (2011) by Ivan Trevino
Players: 4
Instrumentation: 4 marimbas (1 5.0 octave, 2 4.5 octave, 1 4.3 octave)
Duration: 9 minutes
Program Note:
Bloom weaves between minimalism and post-rock, reflecting my interest in bands like Radiohead, Explosions in the Sky, and Sigur Ros. Much like minimalism, post-rock compositions feature motivic ideas that are organically developed overtime. Rather than utilizing the verse-chorus form of standard rock music, post-rockers tend to create an atmosphere of textures, utilizing thick orchestrations and a wide range of dynamics. With Bloom, I wanted to create the same idea of texture and motivic development, while maintaining the energy and accessibility of the bands I like os much. I composed the opening motive in my living room on a small electric keyboard, a source of inspiration for many of my doodles. Rather than scoring this motive for one instrument, I decided to split the motive throughout the ensemble, creating a “panned” texture. This splitting technique resurfaces throughout the work, creating a rather difficult performance element for the players involved. Other than the post-rock influence mentioned above, there was no strategic compositional plan in mind. The piece seemed to grow from the opening four-note motive.” – Ivan Trevino