Daniel Kallman
Three Admirations:
Richfield, NC, United States
Publisher: Gold Branch Music
Date of Publication: 2006
URL: http://www.kallmancreates.com
Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano
Three Admirations:
Richfield, NC, United States
Publisher: Gold Branch Music
Date of Publication: 2006
URL: http://www.kallmancreates.com
Primary Genre: Solo Bass/Contrabass Trombone - with piano
Three Admirations is best described by the composer himself, from his program notes:
I was originally contacted by [friends] Bill and Laura Behrens in late 2003 with the offer of a commission to present as a gift to [their son] Christian for his senior recital… I had begun some ideas for a sonata… when the tragic accident that ended Bill’s life occurred the following spring. After that, the work took on a whole new form and focus as a memorial to Bill and his legacy…
The opening movement is a serene meditation that explores the emotions of loss, grief, resignation and grateful acceptance. The tone of the music is intentionally ‘sacred,’ at times almost choral or chantlike. The content of the middle movement was inspired by what I have come to know and respect about Bill as father, scout leader and teacher. It incorporates three distinct sections indicated in the score by the subtitles Lullaby, At Play, and Gratitude. The last is again hymnlike, but less meditative and more a lifting up of thanks and praise. Each section employs canonic counterpoint where the trombone imitates what the piano has just played or vice versa, indicating that the student not only learns from the teacher, but the reverse is often true. The lullaby links the sections and returns to close the movement. The final movement has the feel and tone of a circus march, a deliberately boisterous outburst of joy with humorous overtones. This is the freewheeling and fun Bill Behrens whom I was blessed to know…
Three Admirations is an excellent college level work whose worthy musical content is not obscured by gratuitous technical demands. It occupies a place in the bass trombone repertoire near works like the Patrick McCarty Sonata, both for the technique it demands and musical rewards it bestows. Range extends from GG-flat to f1 but tessitura resides mostly in the bass clef staff. The second movement incorporates mixed meters; transitions from section to section require a flexible, somewhat mature sense of phrasing. The last movement is most challenging and incorporates quick tempo, glissandi, brief bursts of double tonguing, a well edited cadenza and low notes.
Daniel Kallman's compositions for orchestra, winds, and choir are widely published and have been performed across the United States, Europe and East Asia. His steady stream of commissions includes music for worship, theater, dance, and the young musician. Kallman has composed for the National Symphony Orchestra, the Air Force Academy Band, the Minnesota Orchestra, A Prairie Home Companion, and a wide variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles. He has received support from the American Composers Forum, Meet the Composer, and the McKnight and Jerome Foundations. Mr. Kallman received his musical training at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa and at the University of Minnesota where he studied composition under Dominick Argento and Paul Fetler.
-Mike Hall
Old Dominion University