Chamber Music Clarinet,
Horn, Piano
SKU:
PR.114423640
Composed
by Stacy Garrop. Set of
Score and Parts. 36+12+12
pages. Duration 14:15.
Theodore Presser Company
#114-42364. Published by
Theodore Presser Company
(PR.114423640).
UPC:
680160688562.
The
first time I saw
slipstreaming in action
with professional
cyclists, I was in awe.
The competitors were
riding inches away from
each other; when the lead
rider would swerve left
or right, the pursuers
would immediately follow
suit. The physics behind
what appears on the
surface to be sheer
daredevil antics are
quite solid: the cyclists
riding directly behind
the leader are
benefitting from reduced
air and wind resistance.
On a larger scale, a
peloton (the French term
for a pack of riders)
benefits multiple riders
whoare behind the leaders
of the pack. While riding
so close to other riders
carries great risk of
colliding, that risk is
outweighed by the benefit
of preserving
one’s
energy.Slipstream was
inspired by the love of
cycling shared by Haley
Hoops, horn, and Stephen
Ahearn, clarinet, for
whom the piece was
commissioned. They are
drawn to cycling for the
adventure of it, to
discover new places, and
to meet new people. Haley
also expressed her
enjoyment of taking solo
bike rides. Additionally,
I found great inspiration
in watching the daily
highlight videos of the
three-week 2020 Tour de
France, which happened to
be taking place while I
composed Slipstream.The
piece opens with The
Horizon Beckons. A
cyclist hears an enticing
call emanating from the
mountains, then the
cyclist starts pedaling
towards the mountains in
search of adventure.
Riding Solo, the second
movement, explores the
quiet of riding alone,
the beauty of the
landscape, and the
shifting of the light and
clouds, all while we hear
the bike’s wheels
in constant motion.
Adrenaline Rush, the
third and final movement,
depicts the heat of
competition. We hear the
constant jockeying of
cyclists within a peloton
as they slipstream with
each other and move with
the wind. At the very end
of the movement, we hear
sprinters race for the
finish line with
everything they have left
in their legs.
