When Lightning Strikes

Description

Lightning is an impressive and powerful force of nature, but its strikes are rare and random—just like life. While we can be scared of that uncertainty, we can also be inspired by the beauty of chance, which is exactly the feeling evoked by this new work by Alan Lee Silva.

Program Notes

You are practicing, rehearsing, and playing your part slowly, then at tempo, refining and perfecting, striving for your ideal performance. It seems like forever, and you wonder if you are actually getting anywhere. Then, seemingly in a flash, something has changed; you suddenly can play what you’ve been working on all this time! You can play it with comfort and ease; you have attained that mastery you’ve been seeking!

The title refers to that unexpected moment of joyousness you feel when you discover something new, when you abruptly have a moment of inspiration, or perhaps finally play that difficult passage. In “When Lightning Strikes”, young musicians work on short syncopated phrases, lyrical melodic lines, and tutti staccato/marcato accented eighth notes in a 3-3-2 pattern at p, mf, and f dynamics. The form is Intro, A1, A2, B, C1, C2, A3, D, C3, C4, Ending.

From the outset, we have two quick pickup notes and then move right into the “lightning strikes” moment on the downbeat of M.2. The A section that follows is the glorious, easy feeling and beauty and joy that result from your efforts. A feature of the main melody of the piece (Intro and C sections—essentially the chorus of the piece) is the syncopated figure on 2& in the first bar of the phrase. That is followed by staccato accented quarter notes in the second bar of the phrase. This repeated pattern is the main hook in the chorus of the piece.

The flowing A sections (M.8-15 and M.16-24) with the slight tempo pull back in M.21 set up an unexpected subito piano dynamic shift at B (M.25). From there, the pulsing quarter note staccato figures in Violin 2, Viola, Cello, and Bass underneath the legato Violin 1 melody build momentum and anticipation for the “lightning strikes” moment in M.30.

Cello takes the lead with the legato A melody at M.46. A quick dynamic shift in M.54-62 and the tutti staccato/marcato eighth notes at D build, intensify, and set up the final explosive “lightning” statement with the double chorus section in C3 (M.64-71) and C4 (M.72-78).