Assemblage

Assemblage (1996) begins with a trialogue between flute and clarinet duet phrases, solo harp, and string quartet. Metered fragments, taken from preexisting material or created from randomly generated rhythms, are continually interrupted by periods of silence that undermine any ongoing pulse. The duet fragments are removed from their original context and randomly thrust into a new musical world in which they either assimilate, dominate, or disintegrate. The three-tiered construction is eventually dismantled to expose seven independent voices.