Odd Moments

Odd Moments was written for the Da Capo Chamber Players in 1999 in celebration of George Perle’s 85th birthday. The piece was revised in 2009, resulting in a version that is a few minutes shorter. The title of the piece obliquely refers to Perle’s late piece Critical Moments, and also to an aspect of Perle’s system of 12-tone tonality, which distinguishes between odd and even harmonies. With subtle timbral shifts, frequent metric changes, and an ingenious use of unison and octave unison throughout, this piece is a sophisticated yet playful addition to the modified Pierrot ensemble literature.

Odd Moments was written for the Da Capo Chamber Players in 1999 in celebration of George Perle’s 85th birthday. The piece was revised in 2009, resulting in a version that is a few minutes shorter. The title of the piece obliquely refers to Perle’s late piece Critical Moments, and also to an aspect of Perle’s system of 12-tone tonality, which distinguishes between odd and even harmonies. With subtle timbral shifts, frequent metric changes, and an ingenious use of unison and octave unison throughout, this piece is a sophisticated yet playful addition to the modified Pierrot ensemble literature.