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Euphonium > Plutonium

for solo euphonium

Duration - approx. 5 min.

Program Notes:

Euphonium > Plutonium was written for and with the assistance of Nate Gay.  It was the result of the UMKC Composers’ GUILD program CO(mp)LLABORATIONS, which took place in the spring of 2009. 

A History of the Piece:

In the year 2000 top scientists at NASA began developing brass fusion technology.  The theory was that if a euphonium player could play fast enough, he/she could tear open a wormhole and travel back in time, preferably to the year 1756 and demand that the newborn W.A. Mozart compose nothing but euphonium concertos.  Three brave souls volunteered for the first mission. 

No one returned.

Then, in 2009, a series of unexplained euphonium encounters shook the nation.  It began at the inauguration, when a burning euphonium solo temporarily mesmerized Chief Justice Roberts as he was swearing in Barack Obama.  Then, a random scatter of euphonium glisses propelled the Arizona Cardinals to the Superbowl.  Soon enough it was apparent to all the astrophysicists in the world that the failed experiment in 2000 had stumbled upon a new renewable energy source.  A world arms race has ensued to develop clean euphonium technology.  Tonight, you will all be witness to the first sanctioned American euphonium experiment since the year 2000.  Nate has bravely volunteered to command this dangerous mission.  He has been trained to withstand the substantial amount of G-forces that will be attempting to pry his fingers from the triggers.  If he is successful,  you will feel a euphoric release of what we call “phonons” a subatomic particle responsible for all life in the brass universe.  You will also know if he is successful if after the piece the lights come back on.  They will have been charged with clean euphonium power, and will be able to stay on until at least the next work.  We can only hope that we are not too late to save the world…

A final word of caution: remember to turn off all cell phones, as the euphonium wormhole might cause them to explode…

-Ryan Jesperson
     3/21/2009

Portions of Euphonium > Plutonium was premiered on April 8th by Nate Gay as part of CO(mp)LLABORATIONS, a UMKC program that pairs composers and performers. The entire piece will be premiered in the fall of 2010 in Kansas City, MO.