Blueprint by Elizabeth Knudson
Composer Elizabeth Knudson shares some background & the process behind this month's featured piece.
Over a decade ago, when I first had the idea to write a concerto for jazz trio and orchestra, I think I probably had no idea of how ambitious this project would be to realize! It was not a commissioned work; it simply came about through talking with a friend and musical colleague of mine (Jim Hopson, trombonist). I had a rough idea in mind for the piece, which I pitched to him, and he suggested a couple of other musicians (Brent Mah- tenor saxophone, and Graham Clark- double bass), who became the trio of featured soloists I would be writing for. These three versatile and talented musicians were a real pleasure to collaborate with, and I appreciated that the artistic bar for challenge and possibility was set high.
I enjoyed testing some ideas along the way, including leaving some space and freedom for improvisation and musical “play” between the three soloists, while still maintaining a structured form for the rest of the orchestral parts and conductor. This kind of approach to a work for full orchestra was a new concept for me. I had previously completed several other works for full orchestra, including a horn concerto, though I had never quite approached a work on this scale with the idea of leaving this much freedom for the soloists to improvise, and imprint the work with their own musical personalities. I think it required a high level of mutual trust, and also a solid structure over which the orchestra would hold the work together. I chose to play around with some irregular rhythmic patterns in this work (notably some Balkan rhythms in the first movement)— making the role of the conductor and orchestra even more essential. I also added a drum kit as part of the percussion section; this was a learning experience, and fitting it into the piece in some parts was a challenge. The percussion part was fully notated (not improvised), and required absolute precision! I think though, that the addition of the drum kit to the piece was an essential link between the orchestra and the jazz trio, both in terms of rhythmic architecture, and with its textural range and colour.
The work took me just over a year to compose. It was not a commissioned piece (so, I had to earn my living with other freelance activities during this time), though there was a set date for the premiere. “Blueprint” received its premiere with the West Coast Symphony Orchestra, with Bujar Llapaj- conductor, on June 10th, 2016, at Christ Church Cathedral, Vancouver, BC, Canada. We had a full house, and a fantastic performance by the orchestra and featured trio. I received a wonderful recording of the premiere; absolutely one of the highlights of my composing career, so far.
Looking back now, from a decade on, I can say that the next big challenge will be to find another opportunity for performance of this work. The trio and I worked with much enthusiasm, after the premiere of “Blueprint”, pitching the work to some other Canadian orchestras. I had thought this wouldn’t be too difficult, with such a great recording, and what I thought was an interesting and worthy piece. I don’t want to become discouraged, but I think that in the past ten years, I have learned that getting any work programmed by a professional orchestra is an incredible challenge. I have since finished a cello concerto, “Hymn”, (in 2022), another uncommisisoned work, now with several interested potential soloists, but no luck in finding an opportunity for premiere as of yet. Despite this, I also have another current work-in-progress for full orchestra, “Corazón”, also in the process of seeking an opportunity for its premiere.
This has naturally led me to much thinking about the concept of orchestral programming in general, and also to some discussion with various composer and musician colleagues. Of course I understand if revenue and getting maximum audience numbers is an orchestra's primary concern. At the same time, I feel that it is important for both the orchestra musicians, and for the audience to see that orchestral music is a living, evolving form of expression, and I do think that a balance can be found between programming well-known favourites, alongside lesser-explored or undiscovered gems, while still maintaining a strong connection and engagement with the audience. Will we hear more works by living composers, by women composers, and by other historically underrepresented groups of people programmed by professional orchestras in the future? I think these are very important ideas to consider, and I certainly hope to see some effort and progress being made.
I would like to end by sharing a poem that first sparked the idea for “Blueprint”, along with some programme notes for the piece:
“For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered? Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain top, then shall you begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.”
–Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)
I’ve always thought of jazz as being the language of imagination and freedom— a conversational, fluid melding of ideas. This piece features a jazz trio (tenor saxophone, trombone, and double bass), set against the backdrop of an orchestra. The first movement of “Blueprint” opens with some precise, dancing Balkan rhythms, which set the tone and reveal the architecture of the work. The second movement begins as a slow meditation (taking its inspiration from the evocative quote by poet Kahlil Gibran, above), and builds toward a climax—“melting into the sun”—the idea of the release of the spirit from the body. The third movement mirrors the first movement in its exuberant rhythmic drive, and also draws a bit of inspiration for its raw melodic language from the delta blues. This was an incredibly fun piece to write, and I’d like to acknowledge with thanks the trio of musicians involved in the premiere: Brent Mah (tenor saxophone), Jim Hopson (trombone), and Graham Clark (double bass).
Sheet music, and a complete archival recording of the piece are available through the Canadian Music Centre.
