Mikel Kuehn - Works
Flush (1998/2012), for six trombones with plunger mutes:
Program Note
Flush, for six trombones using plunger mutes, was composed in the fall of 1988 at the University of North Texas. The word “flush” has several meanings. The main reference of the title is to the alternation and juxtaposition of material: non-metered (“spatial” or “proportional”) versus metered (“traditional”) notation. However, Merriam-Webster's Dictionary lists other interpretations of the word that have relevance to the music, such as: “to expose or chase from a place of concealment,” “A sudden flow,” “A sudden increase or expansion,” “A surge of emotion,” “A fresh and vigorous state.” etc. In areas of the piece, the players are given certain controlled liberties in which to explore timbral, temporal, and melodic nuances, while other areas are strictly calculated. One pathway through the piece that is suggested by the unfolding of the work’s opening, is the gradual transformation and metamorphoses of a single pitch to chaos and back. Flush received a 1988 BMI Student Composer Award and was revised in 2012.