Composer

:

Ingram Marshall

Genre

:

Chamber

Style

:

Electronic Music

Compose Date

:

1982

Average_duration

:

9:58

Fog Tropes is a contemporary classical composition by American composer Ingram Marshall. It was composed in 1981 and premiered the same year at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. The piece is scored for brass ensemble and tape, and is approximately 12 minutes in length. Fog Tropes is divided into three movements, each of which explores different sonic textures and moods. The first movement, titled "Fog Tropes I," features a slow, meditative brass chorale that is gradually enveloped by a dense fog of electronic sound. The brass instruments play long, sustained notes that blend together to create a rich, sonorous texture, while the tape part adds layers of shimmering, ethereal sound that evoke the misty, atmospheric quality of the San Francisco Bay Area. The second movement, "Fog Tropes II," is more rhythmic and energetic than the first. It features a driving, syncopated brass ostinato that is punctuated by bursts of electronic sound. The brass players use mutes and other extended techniques to create a variety of timbres and textures, while the tape part adds layers of processed brass sounds that create a sense of space and depth. The final movement, "Fog Tropes III," is the most abstract and experimental of the three. It features a series of fragmented brass gestures that are juxtaposed with electronic sounds that range from gentle, pulsing drones to harsh, abrasive noise. The brass players use a variety of extended techniques, including flutter-tonguing, glissandi, and microtonal inflections, to create a sense of instability and unpredictability. Overall, Fog Tropes is a haunting and evocative work that explores the intersection of acoustic and electronic sound. It is characterized by its rich, sonorous brass writing, its use of extended techniques and electronic processing, and its evocative, atmospheric soundscapes.

More....