Hoover, K :: Caprice

Katherine Hoover presents Caprice for flute and guitar.

From the composer:

'When I was asked to join this unusual group commission using art works from the Cedar Rapids Museum to inspire music, I chose 'Red Event' by James Michael Smith to base my writing upon. I must admit I didn't study it all that carefully; the slide was so very small. I liked the curved pattern in the fabric, and the way the red slash cut across the other aspects of the piece, a clear interruption.

I began with lines in both instruments that seemed to reflect the curves in the pattern; then I did interrupt the work with a very different, darker gesture. As the piece proceeds the gesture returns, but it is co-opted bit by bit and becomes part of the fabric of the piece. And it is true that as we look at a piece of visual art which contains a shock or surprise, over time that element does become absorbed into our perfection of the piece as a whole.

Long after my 'Caprice' was finished, I had the slide developed into a 3' x 5' photograph. At this size the piece takes on a more austere, even threatening quality. The patterns in the cloth are balanced by large, open spaces, the muted textures and colors come to the foreground, and the 'red event' seems more violent. Someone could write a very different piece about it!'