Craig Whitwell: Sonata "Time and Memory" for Unaccompanied Trombone

“Time and Memory”, one of my favorite subject areas. We experience in time, and save in memory. And when we next experience, it is colored by our previous memory. There are many aspects to it: chronological time vs psychological time; time remembered, as spatial concept; etc. A collaboration in progress… There are several forms of repetition and recurrence throughout these four movements. The first movement emanates largely from a 7/8 feel. The second movement is more lyrical but ends with the same passage-work as the first. The third movement is in twilight-consciousness-evoking solotone mute. In the more fun fourth movement there are larger diverse contrasting areas, a reference to “Big Ben” appears, and there are some embedded (subliminal) partial quotes from the overall repertoire.

Craig Whitwell, born 1948, Santa Rosa, California. Began playing professionally in high school. BA, San Jose State University, studying trombone with Bob Szabo. MA, University of Pennsylvania, studying composition with George Crumb and Richard Wernick. Developed a long career in software engineering and didn’t compose during that time. Recently retired and began writing music again, picking up where he left off, for unaccompanied trombone.