by Layne Anspach
Hello musicians! This month we will look at Howard Buss’ Island of Enchantment: “Five Vignettes from Puerto Rico” for flute, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and piano. Howard Buss (b. 1951) is an American composer whose work includes instrumental solos, chamber music, symphonic, choral, and band pieces. His works have been performed around the world.
Island of Enchantment was written for clarinetist Kathleen Jones and the 40th Anniversary of Camerata Caribe, and it was premiered on February 5, 2023, in San Juan. The work is in five movements descriptive of Puerto Rico. Sunrise Paints the Land starts with clarinet, flute, and piano presenting melodic content. A trill is passed between players during the opening section, after which the bassoon assumes the melodic lead followed by the clarinet with support from others. The movement is active until the final few bars where the ensemble moves together to conclude.
To the Shore ‘Arecibo’ brings the listener to the town of Arecibo, known for its scenic coastline. The movement opens with ascending patterns from the ensemble followed by the presentation of a short melodic element by bassoon which returns throughout. The A section alternates between busy, thickly scored sections and calm, tranquil ones. The faster B section shares themes between voices: piano, followed by flute, then bassoon. A shortened A section returns to close the movement. Glowing Waters ‘La Parguera’ refers to the bioluminescent waters found at La Parguera which attract tourists to view the nighttime glow. The slow movement is mysterious in nature, marked by dissonant and compact chords in the piano. After the introduction, the clarinet and flute propel the movement forward with short comments from the bassoon. The second section is in compound meter, and bassoon and piano share the melodic responsibility.
The Rain Forest ‘El Yunque’ brings the listener to El Yunque National Forest. The movement opens with four chords presented by the winds followed by an obbligato in the piano. Melodic entrances alternate between winds with staccato interjections. Eventually, the piano passes the obbligato to the flute and clarinet. The opening chords return as a transition to the second section which features cascading entrances of eighth notes between woodwinds and piano. The obbligato returns in the piano for a truncated A section to end the movement. Mongoosian Intrigues is the final movement of the work; while not native to Puerto Rico, mongooses were brought to the island to control rat populations. The movement starts with a tranquil opening but quickly turns to an aggressive and chaotic A section. A wind interlude sets up the B section, which is characterized by foreboding eighth notes in the piano’s left hand while the bassoon carries the melodic material. With little warning, the chaotic A section returns for an exciting conclusion.
