Insectum for Flexible Wind Quartet by Phillip Rawle
Instrumentation: Part 1: flute or clarinet; Part 2: oboe or clarinet; Part 3: clarinet or instrument in F; Part 4: bassoon or bass clarinet
Score and parts
I. Caelifera
II. Mantodea
The first piece is “Caelifera” named after the grasshopper. Like the grasshopper, this music moves in an unpredictable way with no discernible melody. Its harmonic and rhythmic patterns involve the crossing of the instruments and jumping over each other with only the occasional few bars of relatively ‘normal’ chordal sympathy.
The second piece is “Mantodea” named after the mantis. This is similar to the first piece but has a slightly more sinister feeling. Once again there is no obvious harmonic line. It moves forward in slower steps rather than sudden jumps.
