Windows (Druckman)

Windows is a one-movement orchestral composition written by Jacob Druckman in 1972. It won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in the same year. Windows was commissioned by the Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation for conductor Bruno Maderna and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and is dedicated to conductor Serge Koussevitzky and his wife Natalie.

Windows
by Jacob Druckman
Jacob Duckman, 1976
Commissioned by	Serge Koussevitzky Music Foundation
Composed	1972
Dedication	Serge and Natalie Koussevitzky
Duration	about 20 minutes
Movements	One
Scoring	Orchestra
Premiere
Date	16 March 1972 (1972-03-16)
Location	Orchestra Hall, Chicago
Conductor	Bruno Maderna
Performers	Chicago Symphony

Druckman himself explained the name of the composition as follows:

The 'Windows' of the title are windows inward. They are points of light which appear as the thick orchestral textures part, allowing us to hear, fleetingly, moments out of time – memories, not of any music that ever existed before, but memories of memories, shadows of ghosts. The imagery is as though, having looked at an unpeopled wall of windows, one looks away and sees the afterimage of a face.[1]

Much of the work involves the use of aleatoric processes, similar to those associated with Witold Lutosławski. Windows was originally going to share a program with Claude Debussy's Jeux when it was premiered and Druckman wanted to pay homage to Debussy.[1]

A typical performance of the piece lasts about 20 minutes.

Instrumentation

The work is written for an orchestra with the following instrumentation.[2]

Woodwinds 3 flutes (3rd doubles piccolos) 2 oboes 1 English horn 2 B♭ clarinets 1 B♭ bass clarinet 2 bassoons 1 contrabassoon Brass 4 horns (asst. 1st and 3rd advisable) 3 trumpets (C) 3 trombones (3rd tenor-bass with F trigger) 1 tuba Other 1 harp 1 keyboard player playing piano and electric organ[3]

Percussion 3 percussion players 1 glockenspiel 1 vibraphone 1 marimba 1 steel drum chimes 1 timpani 2 bass drums 2 conga drums 1 snare drum 1 pair of timbales 2 pairs of bongos 3 temple blocks 2 wood blocks 2 tam-tams 2 gongs (mid-range, without definite pitch) 2 large suspended cymbals 2 small suspended cymbals 1 large sizzle cymbal 1 heavy spring coil with sizzles[4] 1 saw[5]

Strings violins violas cellos contrabasses

References

1. Malone, Andrew Lindemann. "Windows for orchestra". AllMusic. Retrieved 2020-05-02.
2. Druckman, Jacob (1972). Windows. MCA Music.
3. From the score: "though this part is written so that it can be accomplished by one player, it is much safer with two players".
4. Small metal rings loosely hung on coils
5. The long type with one end mounted in a wooden block which rests on the floor