Sea Drift by Anthony Iannacconne, continued
The second movement, “On the Beach at Night,” evokes a reflective scene in which a father and child are comtemplating a sky of shinnering stars, some of which appear to be devoured by ravenous dark cloud masses. Out of this symbolic celestial conflict, several stars, some delicate, some radiant, emerge victoriously, intimating the poet's mystical intuition of the immortality of cosmic spirit. The music, marked sognando (dreaming), is built on an interplay of resonant, ringing sonorities. These sonorities range from delicate and gentle treble sounds to lustrous and richer full ensemble chords with sharp attacks and overlapping decays. The top notes of these chords outline song-like material heard earlier in the first movement.
The third movement, “Song for All Seas,” is marked Like wind over waves. This music, like that of movements one and two, is largely derived from the pitch materials first heard in the clarinet solo at the beginning of movement one. Here, however, these pitches are transformed into rhythmic and textural shapes that suggest the mercurial energy of the sea. Tranquil waves are quickly altered into aggressive surges of water and energy. The movement ends in climactic swells of colliding rhythmic figures which culminate in a final burst on Bb.
Anthony Iannacconne (born New York City, 1943) studied at the Manhattan School of Music and the Eastman School of Music. His principal teachers were Vittorio Giannini, Aaron Copland, and David Diamond. During the 1960's, he supported himself as a part-time teacher (Manhattan School) and orchestral violinist. His catalogue of approximately 50 published works includes three symphonies, as well as smaller works for orchestra, several large works for chorus and orchestra, numerous chamber pieces, a variety of works for wind einsemble, and several extended a cappella choral compositions. His music is performed by major orchestras and professional chamber ensembles in the U. S, and abroad.
The composer has received awards, commissions and grants from many organizations including the 1995 American Bandmasters Association/Ostwald Composition Competition for his work entitled Sea Drift. He is a frequent guest conductor of both instrumental and choral ensembles, particularly at college and university campuses throughout the country. He teaches composition, orchestration, and arranging, and directs the Collegium Musicum at Eastern Michigan University.
