Animal Sketches, Volume 1

Description

One of the most unique works of Johnathan Couch’s Opus 3, Animal Sketches, Volume I combines musical depictions of four diverse organisms into one entertaining program piece for piano quintet.

1.) Blue Whale –  Hear the yearning song of the earth’s largest animal, portrayed beautifully by the cello, as the upper strings and piano provide a soft, leisurely, ocean-like background.

2.) Penguins – Everyone loves penguins. This cute and cheerful movement captures the playful fun side of penguins which we all know and love. Beginning with a good-natured swing and transitioning into a marshal little march, audiences will go crazy for this happy little piece.

3.) Venus Fly Trap (and an Unfortunate Insect) – The title says it all! With Violin I representing the doomed insect, the rest of the instruments take on the role of Venus Fly Trap, creating a calm, peaceful atmosphere which lures the bug into the plants life-ending jaws. The final seconds of this movement are a climactic escalation of harmony and rhythm which depict the last fleeting moments of the insect’s life as the Venus Fly Trap consumes it.

4.) Spiders – Not just one spider: lots of them! The music of this movement (composed in a somewhat-classical style) is sure to leave the audience with the sensation of thousands of little spiders crawling all over! This is a great movement, using lots of chromatic themes and spider-sounding trills.