Chamber Music Cello,
Piano
SKU:
PR.114418630
Composed
by Stacy Garrop. Set of
Score and Parts. With
Standard notation. 24+8
pages. Duration 13
minutes. Theodore Presser
Company #114-41863.
Published by Theodore
Presser Company
(PR.114418630).
ISBN
9781491114063. UPC:
680160642724. 9 x 12
inches.
The film
noir genre of 1940s
cinema typically includes
a strong but flawed male
lead (often a detective),
a beautiful woman who
coerces the male into
committing murder or is a
killer herself (a
“femme fatale”), and
a twisting plot line that
involves one or more
homicides. These movies
typically are shot in
black and white, with
emphasis on shadows and
light, alcohol and
cigarettes, trench coats
and fedoras. Most of the
story lines do not have
happy endings. Inspired
by this genre, NOIR
VIGNETTES consists of
four movements, each
depicting an aspect of
film noir: Murder at
Midnight, Loaded Gun,
Femme Fatale, and Last
Cigarette.
In the
mid-1940s, film critics
in France noticed a trend
emerging in movies from
the United States, which
they coined film noir
(which translates to
“black film”). These
movies were dark, moody,
and pessimistic,
reflecting the agitation
and anxiety present in
society following World
War II. Several
characteristics are
commonly found in many of
these movies, including a
strong but flawed male
lead (often a detective),
a beautiful woman who
either coerces the male
lead into committing
murder for her or is a
killer herself (a
“femme fatale”), and
a twisting, turning plot
line that involves one or
more homicides.
Additionally, there are
several visual elements
that these movies share:
many are shot in black
and white, with great
emphasis on the use of
shadows and light;
alcohol and cigarettes
are heavily consumed by
men and women alike; and
men typically wear trench
coats and fedoras. Most
of the story lines do not
have happy endings.
Examples of film noir
include Orson Welles’
The Lady from Shanghai,
Billy Wilder’s Double
Indemnity, and John
Huston’s The Maltese
Falcon.NOIR VIGNETTES
consists of four
movements, each depicting
a different aspect of
film noir: Murder at
Midnight, Loaded Gun,
Femme Fatale, and Last
Cigarette.This piece was
commissioned by the
University of Illinois
Research Board on behalf
of double bassist Michael
Cameron; and it also
published for Double Bass
and Piano (114-41811).
The cello version is
transcribed by the
composer.-- Stacy
Garrop.
