About the Work - courtesy of the composer

Originally for bassoon, Harkening was conceived with the idea that all of its melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and formal language would be restricted to that which would plausibly be in use by a leading composer of the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, i.e. a late-Romantic tonal vocabulary. The reason for this is largely the result of my having taught chromatic tonal harmony in core music theory classes and graduate seminars for many years—something from this was bound to come out in a composition of mine sooner or later—as well as my lifelong adoration of the music by composers such as Gustav Mahler, Anton Bruckner, and Richard Strauss. Harkening was not an attempt to write a pastiche of the music of such composers, but rather to explore what a composition of my own might be like were I a composer from that time period. The opening phrase was composed for a handout I made on the subject of ornamentation for my students, as an example exploring a late-Romantic melodic turn.

The work has a duration of ca. 4 minutes. Extended-range instrument required. Solo score: 5 pages, loose-leaf to facilitate page turns.

About the Composer

Ryan M. Hare teaches composition, music theory, and bassoon at Washington State University, where he is an associate professor of music. He serves as Composer in Residence for the Washington Idaho Symphony, and his compositions have been heard in numerous venues and festivals throughout the United States, and also in the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Chile, Thailand, and the Philippines. Hare was recently named "Composer of the Year" by the Washington State Music Teacher's Association, which included a paid commission. Other honors include a prestigious Artist Trust Fellowship, grants from New Music USA's "MetLife Creative Connections" program, the ASCAP Plus Award, and commissions and premieres from the Washington Idaho Symphony, Lake Forest College Chamber Orchestra, University of Idaho Vandaleers Concert Choir, and Affinity Chamber Player, to name a few.

Hare earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition from the University of Washington; his other degrees include a Master of Music in Composition from Ithaca College and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Oregon State University. He also studied at the 1996 Ferienkurse für neue Musik in Darmstadt, Germany. Prior to his arrival at WSU, Dr. Hare held appointments at the University of Washington, Seattle University, Seattle Pacific University, and Oregon State University, and taught composition and bassoon at Music Works Northwest.