Mikel Kuehn - Works
Tag (2006), for two flutes
(Lorna McGhee and Sam Seabrook, flutes)
Program Note
Tag, for two flutes, was inspired by the work of architect Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) during a visit to Barcelona, Spain in September 2005. The many ornate details and interplay in Gaudi’s work led me to envision a musical space in which layers of ideas could be articulated between instruments, carving elements deep into the textural fabric of the music. The realization of this idea for two flutes seemed to suggest a kind of interplay reminiscent of the children’s game “tag.” In this musical version, thematic elements are handed back and forth between the two players. A large portion of the piece was composed in Barcelona while I was sitting on park benches (much of it during an afternoon in Gaudi’s unique Park Guell) reflecting on Gaudi’s work, most notably the incredible detail of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. The piece was continued at home in Ohio and then completed in October at the Banff Center in Alberta, Canada. The first performance was given at the Banff Centre by Lorna McGhee and Sam Seabrook in November 2005. Tag was the recipient of the 2009 Lee Ettelson Award from Composers, Inc.