EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS

Ian Lester

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Trio

2023

8 min.

Euphonium

Program Notes: EXTRAORDINARY TUNNELS is a three-movement work for euphonium trio that was inspired by three European tunnels that traverse through gorgeous landscapes and scenery: I. The Gotthard Base Tunnel (Switzerland): With a route length of 35.5 miles, the Gotthard Base Tunnel is the world’s longest railway tunnel. The Gotthard Base Tunnel runs through the Swiss Alps. This magnitude and beauty of the Alps is conveyed through exciting and angular melodic and rhythmic material, mixed meter, and metric modulation. II. Halnaker Tree Tunnel (England): While only 1.5 miles long, the Halnaker Tree Tunnel (Mill Lane) in West Sussex, England is a footpath that has sunken down over the years, leading the surrounding lines of trees to curve over the path. The resulting scenery looks like it came right out of a fairy tale. Dreamy textures and melodies and polyrhythms portray the magic of this tunnel. III. Combe Laval (France): Combe Laval is an 18.56-mile-long road with a series of tunnels carved into the cliffs of the French Alps tucked away in Southeastern France. An energetic, polyrhythmic introduction leads into heroic solo passages and a driving finale.
Ensemble Name: The Troubled Euphs