The Rattlesnake

Instrumentation

Flute, string orchestra, and harp

Duration

7:07

Tempo

♩ = 60

Delivery Method

Digital Download

Notes on the piece

The Rattlesnake is a tone poem for solo flute, string orchestra and harp. It opens with a Middle Eastern flute melody in C# minor over a drone played by the bass. This swells into a sweeping full ensemble melody, painting a beautiful picture of desert scenery, then modulates into D-flat major, introducing a delicate flute melody over the harp. This melody is then played by the orchestra and built upon, blossoming into a romantic interlude. This interlude is soon interrupted however by minor tremolos in the strings, mimicking the sound of a rattlesnake’s tail. The flute stumbles on with the Db melody, until it recognizes the danger with a startling full ensemble chord, and the cello slides the piece sinuously back into the original C# minor melody. The minor theme is repeated and built upon in full ensemble glory, until the piece fades into a melancholy conclusion.