The Goblin March, Op. 1 (2012)
Notes
I composed The Goblin March in 2012 as a collection of works for my senior composition recital at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Originally conceived as an electric bass quintet, this piece was a partial exploration of interlocking phrasing that causes the melody to flick back and forth across the ensemble. I preserved many of these spacial effects in subsequent adaptations/revisions.
The majority of this piece is constructed from a repeating melody that ‘marches’ atop two oscillating chords. As the march progresses, the melody evolves with changing rhythms, registers, and harmonies. The middle atonal section (measures 57-77) makes use of a separate repeating melody with angular shifts that depict the ominous whims of a goblin.
A fun and light-hearted quartet, The Goblin March was inspired by the cartoon adaptation of The Return of the King (1980). Spirited rhythms with a deliberately plotting bass line evoke images of armor-cladded goblins marching away into the distance.