Urban Scenes (2015) for flute, clarinet, cello, double bass and piano

Duration: 17 minutes

Recording: From the May 2021 virtual concert at the Royal Room in Seattle to remember flutist Paul Taub and his broad impact on the music community. Jeffrey Barker, flute; Angelique Poteat, clarinet; Rose Bellini, cello; Joseph Kaufman, double bass; and Oksana Ezhokina piano (note, video is from the event and continues past the duration of the piece)

Urban Scenes – Score and Parts – $102.00

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Program Notes:

Urban Scenes (2015) was commissioned by Paul Taub, which he premiered on a program of other new commissions from Seattle composers in 2015 for flute and various chamber ensembles.  In the case of Urban Scenes, Paul wanted a modified Pierrot Ensemble minus percussion, where double bass replaced the typical violin part in order to create more balance with the high wind parts.  This substitution motivated me to look to Seattle’s varied music history for inspiration, including its vibrant jazz and alternative rock scenes.  I also wanted to incorporate some quintessential Seattle features for overarching movement ideas.  The first movement, Traffic, evokes imagery of rumbling engines and frantic merging, starts, and stops.  The second movement, Snow Day, takes a nostalgic turn, longing for the stillness and serenity of snow fall that is becoming less frequent in the Puget Sound area.  The final movement, Night Life, recreates a sense of strolling downtown from one live-music venue to another, where walking bass lines blur into heavy metal grooves.

-Angelique Poteat