Maelstrom [CF:CAS129]

This exciting piece starts with a treacherous storm motif that acts as the undercurrent as quotes from famous water-themed compositions are heard. Some shifting is required in first violin, cello, and bass, and all parts include accidentals and dramatic dynamic changes. Students will learn the flowing theme from Smetana’s “Die Moldau,” explore the haunting “Aquarium” movement from Saint-Saëns’s “Carnival of the Animals,” and bow along to a traditional Irish Sea Chanty, as melodies overlap in this musical storm. Developing players will refine articulation skills, explore a variety of rhythms in 6/8, and expand their chromatic and dynamic horizons in the familiar key of E minor.