Jeremi W. Edwards

Program Notes - The Garden in Motion captures the dynamic and ever-changing natural world through four of Monet’s more atmospheric and kinetic paintings. The suite begins with Women in the Garden, where shifting patterns of light and shadow move across figures beneath trees in soft, dappled sunlight. Rhythmic gestures suggest the rustling of fabric and foliage, while harmonies blur like sunlight filtering through leaves. This is followed by The Luncheon (Monet’s Garden at Argenteuil), evoking a quiet afternoon gathering within a flower-filled garden. Textures interweave like conversations, balancing social warmth with contemplative stillness. The journey continues to La Grenouillère, a lively riverside setting alive with water, reflections, and laughter. The ensemble mimics ripples, passing boats, and voices, blending joy with a subtle awareness of transience. The final movement, Wind Effect, Series of the Poplars, expands the scope of motion with sweeping phrases and suspended harmonies that mirror tall trees swaying in the breeze. The music breathes with natural momentum, culminating in a shimmering release that leaves only the impression of movement behind. This part transforms the garden into a space of motion and memory—fluid, alive, and subject to the winds of time. Composer’s Note My inspiration for The Sonic Gallery began with a deep and lasting admiration for the work of Claude Monet, a love that first took root during my studies and has only grown stronger with time. In recent years, I’ve made it a personal tradition to seek out Monet’s paintings wherever I travel, often slipping away to local museums in search of his work. Most recently, a trip to Europe brought me to the British National Gallery, the Tate Modern, and the Musée d’Orsay, where I encountered several of Monet’s large-scale canvases in person. Standing before them, I found myself utterly transfixeddrawn into their atmosphere, texture, and color in a way that felt almost musical. In the quiet hush of the gallery, I recall being truly moved by a painting for the first time. This 4-movement collection reflects those encounters each movement chosen not only for its visual beauty but also for the emotional resonance it stirred within me.

Program Notes:

 “Purée de Monstre du Mardi Gras” is a wild and whimsical Mardi Gras monster mash for clarinet and trumpet — inspired by the spirit of Bobby “Boris” Pickett’s 1962 hit Monster Mash and the haunting, joyous energy of New Orleans itself. In this five-movement duet, the supernatural and the celebratory collide: witches cast their spells beneath the gaslights, ghosts waltz through haunted ballrooms, and the Rougarou prowls the bayou once more. Through a blend of spoken word, jazz-infused rhythms, and bold instrumental color, this work celebrates the eerie, the festive, and everything in between.

Movements:

I. The Witch 🧙‍♀️ – Fast, hypnotic, unpredictable

II. The Ghost 👻 – Slow, floating, ethereal

III. The Werewolf 🐺 – Fast, feral, relentless

IV. The Vampire 🦇 – Slow, sensual, brooding

V. The Rougarou 🌕 – Fast, wild, untamed

Program Notes:

This piece takes its inspiration from the myth of Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun. In the ancient tale, Icarus and his father, Daedalus, escape captivity by crafting wings from feathers and wax. Warned not to soar too high or fly too low, Icarus is overtaken by the thrill of flight and the pull of the sky. Drawn upward by his ambition, he ignores the warning. The sun melts the wax, the wings unravel, and he falls into the sea. Over time, the story has become a cautionary emblem of hubris—but it is also a testament to the beauty and danger of yearning, of reaching beyond one's limits in pursuit of something greater. Wings of the Divine reimagines this myth as a journey not of failure, but of transformation. It is a meditation on human aspiration, the fragility of dreams, and the possibility of transcendence even in collapse. Rather than unfolding in a literal narrative, the music flows through five interconnected phases, forming a single arc that bends through rise and fall, dissolution and return. Themes drift in and out like memories or fragments of motion, suspended in a musical time that is fluid and cyclic rather than linear.

The opening phase, Glide, evokes the first effortless lift into the air—a moment of weightlessness and delicate balance. The textures are light and flowing, suggesting a gentle drifting, as though carried by soft winds. In Rise, ambition begins to stir. The orchestra swells with upward momentum as melodies climb and intertwine, embodying the exhilaration of ascent and the desire to chase the sky. Plummet marks the turning point. The music fractures into jagged, falling gestures and chaotic bursts of sound, capturing the sensation of sudden unraveling and irreversible descent. Yet the story does not end there. In Transcendence, the spirit of Icarus begins to rise again—not in body, but in something more ethereal. Harmonies stretch and shimmer, creating a space that feels both weightless and timeless. Finally, in Ascension, fragments of earlier themes reappear in transformed and luminous forms. Though the wings are lost, the idea of flight remains. The piece closes not with finality, but with the sense that something has been released—something that continues beyond the fall. Wings of the Divine is, at its heart, not about the tragedy of Icarus, but about what his flight represents: the eternal human impulse to reach higher, to transcend the limits of the earth, and to touch, even briefly, the edge of the divine.

Program Notes:

Electric Storm is a visceral, high-energy work for solo flute that explores the instrument's full sonic spectrum through a fusion of extended techniques, rapid idiomatic passages, and raw expressive power. Inspired by the unpredictable and awe-inspiring forces of nature, the piece captures the feeling of being caught in a sudden, electrifying tempest—charged with tension, volatility, and bursts of brilliance. At the heart of Electric Storm is a celebration of the flute’s contemporary voice. The piece incorporates a variety of extended techniques, including multi-phonics, pitched air tones, and percussive articulations. These elements are woven seamlessly into the musical narrative, not as effects for their own sake, but as essential components of the stormy atmosphere the piece evokes. The use of breath and resonance becomes a powerful expressive tool—sometimes mimicking wind or thunder, sometimes creating eerie, unstable textures that crackle with anticipation.

Against this backdrop of timbral exploration, the flute also shines in passages of virtuosic agility. Rapid melodic runs—crafted with idiomatic sensitivity to the instrument—unleash lightning-like flashes across the musical sky, demanding intense focus, control, and dexterity from the performer. These moments evoke the chaotic energy of a storm at full intensity, balanced by sections of suspenseful stillness and fragile lyricism. Structurally, Electric Storm unfolds in waves, with climactic surges and sudden lulls that mirror the natural ebb and flow of a thunderstorm. The music constantly shifts in color and character, requiring the performer to transition fluidly between breathy, unstable textures and crystalline precision. This duality not only challenges the flute’s capabilities but also elevates its expressive range—inviting the listener to hear the instrument in new and unexpected ways. In the end, Electric Storm is as much a test of the performer’s technical command as it is a dramatic tone poem. It is a sonic journey through turbulence and electricity, one that invites performer and audience alike to experience the thrill of riding out the storm from within.

Program Notes:

Midnight Waltz is a lush, expressive work for piano four hands that pays homage to the rich Romantic tradition, inspired in particular by the music and spirit of Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt. It is a musical love letter to the waltz form—elegant yet passionate, graceful yet emotionally complex—and to the intimacy of shared performance between two pianists at one instrument. The piece is set in a dreamlike atmosphere, evoking the quiet solitude and reflective beauty of the midnight hour. As the title suggests, the waltz unfolds like a nocturnal dance, full of mystery, longing, and fleeting moments of brilliance. It opens with a gentle, lyrical theme that immediately sets a contemplative tone, reminiscent of Chopin’s nocturnes and late waltzes. The texture gradually thickens as the inner voices bloom and the harmonic language deepens, inviting the listener into a swirling, moonlit soundscape.

Throughout the piece, the two pianists engage in a delicate dialogue—sometimes mirroring one another in fluid motion, sometimes diverging in playful counterpoint. The four-hand setting allows for sweeping textures and intricate layering, enhancing the expressive power of the waltz while also celebrating the joy and challenge of musical collaboration. Rapid runs, expressive rubato, and rich harmonic coloring all harken to the virtuosic style of Liszt, while the elegance and intimate poetry of the phrasing clearly nod to Chopin’s influence. The central section of Midnight Waltz explores more turbulent and impassioned territory, with dramatic dynamic shifts and swirling arpeggiations that suggest the emotional restlessness that often accompanies the stillness of night. Eventually, the opening theme returns, now imbued with a deeper sense of nostalgia and resolution, as if the dancers—real or imagined—have completed their midnight reverie.

This piece is both a tribute and a personal reflection: a tribute to the Romantic masters who shaped the landscape of piano music, and a reflection of the composer’s own love for the expressive power of the instrument. Midnight Waltz invites performers and listeners alike into a world where time seems to slow, where shadows dance in the candlelight, and where music whispers its secrets long after the final note fades.

Program Notes:

Vieux Carré Rhapsody for woodwind and string octet is a musical portrait of New Orleans’ French Quarter, a place where history breathes through the architecture, music spills from every corner, and time seems to flow as freely as the Mississippi River. Composed in three continuous movements, the piece captures the city’s many moods—from its quiet, reflective moments to its exuberant celebrations—through a blend of classical lyricism, rhythmic drive, and jazz-inspired inflections. The journey begins with Whisper through the Quarter, a gentle meditation on the early morning stillness of the Vieux Carré. Delicate textures in the strings and breathy, searching lines in the winds evoke the soft hush of dawn as it settles over shuttered windows and wrought-iron balconies. There is a sense of mystery in the air, as if the city is slowly waking, and the distant echoes of an old blues tune or a ghostly habanera rhythm float through the humid silence. It is a musical reflection on memory and architecture, on quiet moments in a city alive with history.

From the stillness, the music drifts toward the river with Ripples of the Mississippi. Here, pulsing undercurrents and shimmering lines suggest the constant movement of the water that has shaped the city's identity. The woodwinds ripple and glide, while the strings flow in long, sweeping phrases that expand and contract like the tide. Fragments of melody rise and fall like reflections on the water’s surface, while hints of spirituals and folk melodies pay homage to the lives and stories that have traveled alongside the river’s path. The final movement, Bourbon Street Revelry, bursts forth with rhythm, color, and kinetic energy. This section captures the vibrant chaos and infectious spirit of the Quarter at night, where jazz bands parade through the streets and every corner seems to host a celebration. Spirited rhythms, quicksilver melodic runs, and playful dialogues between instruments drive the movement forward, as snippets of second line grooves and syncopated street rhythms emerge and vanish like flashes of neon and laughter. There’s a feeling of movement and momentum, of a city that dances even when it weeps, and always sings. Vieux Carré Rhapsody is not just a tribute to New Orleans—it is a love letter to its contradictions: the serenity and the noise, the old and the new, the shadow and the flame. Through this piece, the composer invites the listener to wander the streets of the Quarter, to feel the heartbeat of the river, and to lose themselves—if only for a moment—in the revelry of it all.

Movement I: Chroma Spectrum
The opening movement, "Chroma Spectrum," draws inspiration from the bold and expressive palette of Fauvist art. Like brushstrokes of vivid color on a canvas, the music bursts forth with vibrant energy and luminous hues. Through swirling melodies and intricate harmonies, the orchestra paints a vivid sonic landscape, capturing the essence of Fauvism's emphasis on pure, unbridled emotion and the power of color to evoke mood and atmosphere.

Movement II: Velocity Momentum:

The second movement takes on the pulsating rhythm and dynamic energy of Futurist ideology. Evoking the rush of modernity and the exhilaration of speed, the orchestra propels forward with relentless momentum, driven by pulsating rhythms and kaleidoscopic harmonies. Like a whirlwind of sound, the music captures the essence of Futurism's celebration of technology, movement, and the dynamism of the modern world.

Movement III: Emotional Abstraction
The final movement delves into the introspective world of Abstract Expressionism. Through haunting melodies and poignant harmonies, the music explores the depths of human emotion and the power of artistic expression to transcend the boundaries of the tangible world. With moments of introspection and intensity, the orchestra navigates the emotional terrain of Abstract Expressionism, inviting listeners on a journey of self-discovery and catharsis.

"Echoes of Melodic Mosaics" offers a compelling exploration of the intersections between music and art, weaving together diverse influences and inspirations to create a rich and immersive musical experience. From the vibrant colors of Fauvism to the dynamic energy of Futurism and the emotional depth of Abstract Expressionism, this triptych tone poem invites listeners to embark on a journey of discovery and imagination, where sound and color converge in a harmonious symphony of creativity.