Jacob Druckman: Come Round

What is so invigorating about hearing a concert of contemporary music is the process through which the listener and performer realize the unique voice inherent in each piece, regardless of style and content. As John Adams does so successfully with Shaker Loops, Jacob Druckman takes an existing formal structure/process (in this case theme and variation) and manipulates it to such a degree that it becomes a unique trademark only found in Come Round.

The piece is comprised of six variations with two ritornellos that are inserted between the third and fourth variations and the fourth and fifth variations. However, there is no theme that is initially stated from which the six variations are derived. Druckman writes, “there is no ‘thema’ in the sense of a central or original form from which the others spring, but rather six equal incarnations of the same musical materials coexisting like parallel truths.” It’s like having a scrapbook of six photos, taken during different times of the day, of only the shadow of a statue. A photo of the statue casting this shadow does not exist. The two ritornellos (music that returns) are short but very distinct and are easily identifiable because they begin the second and third movements.

Come Round was composed for the New York New Music Ensemble (co-commissioned by the Santa Fe Chamber Music, Ravinia, and Saratoga Performing Arts festivals) and was premiered in 1992. It is scored for flute (doubling on alto flute), clarinet (doubling on bass clarinet), violin, cello, piano, and percussion. - Donato Cabrera