Exposé

Exposé is scored for the unusual combination of two violins, two marimbas and piano. It is a single-movement work that maintains a brisk, unwavering tempo throughout, with no fluctuations in tempo. The piece opens with a soft, rapid two-hand octave sequence in the piano, introducing the idée fixe, or recurrent theme, of the composition. This sequence is highly structured, with periodicity in both rhythm and harmony, serving as the work’s central motif.

Simultaneously, the two violins and two marimbas create a delicate, unchanging chordal wash, filling the texture like a mist. The resulting polyphony fluctuates between consonance and dissonance, driven by the contrast between the static harmony of the strings and mallets and the shifting harmonies in the piano. This “harmonic phasing” effect, where the harmonic landscape blurs between instruments, recurs throughout the piece.

Following the piano’s brief introduction, the violins and marimbas join in, repeating a rapid six-note ascending arpeggio, which becomes the core thematic material. Harmonically aligned with the piano’s idée fixe, this six-note figure establishes a collage technique, where new patterns overlap over existing ones, creating a rich counterpoint that is evident throughout the work.

As Exposé unfolds, this initial string and mallet arpeggio reappears in numerous rhythmic variations, exchanged between the piano, strings, and mallets. Each shift in timbre alters the character of the theme. The piece concludes in a way that mirrors its opening, with the strings and mallets providing a sustained backdrop under the syncopated idée fixe in the piano, bringing the work full circle.

First Performance: San Jose State University, 1990, Anthony Cirone, cond.

The first performance used 2 xylophones in place of the violins creating a mallet quartet with piano.