by Caiti Beth McKinney
Hello everyone! In a sharp departure from the Romanticism of Emilie Mayer, this month I want to introduce you to a composer from the 20th Century—Claire Polin (1926-1995). Polin was a pianist, flutist, and musicologist in addition to being a composer. She didn’t begin playing flute until she was seventeen when her doctor recommended she take up the instrument to help her lungs recover after a bout of double pneumonia. Polin studied composition with some of the biggest names of her day, including Vincent Persichetti (hornists know his Parables) and Roger Sessions, and her music reflects the avant-garde sensibilities of 1970s and ’80s.
Although much of her music, naturally, was written for flute and winds, Polin also composed several pieces that highlighted the horn. Of note are her two brass quintets, hefty, “serious” works that will challenge any performer. Cader Idris: Landscape for Brass Quintet (1971), named for the Welsh mountain, utilizes extended techniques and dense writing to create a sense of urgency and scale. The other quintet, Makimono II, remains unrecorded—challenge issued!
In addition to the brass quintets, Polin also composed works with slightly more unusual instrumentations, including A klockwork diurnal (1977) for horn, alto saxophone, and bassoon, and Telemannicon II (1980) for horn and two trumpets. Woodwind quintets are also part of Polin’s legacy, including works with evocative titles like Res naturae: The Carmarthan dove in a mialiseet dance (1980), and The Garden of Earthly Delights (1989).
Polin’s works are uniquely her own; every piece she composed was in her distinct voice. While their complexity and styles are not for the faint of heart, Polin’s music is more than ready for a revival.
