Kernis’s guitar quintet is a reflection of 90s popular styles. While composing it, the sounds of 70s music rose to the surface most strongly. The piece begins with the guitarist and quartet literally drumming out motivic rhythms on their instruments. In the final movement, voiced percussion sounds bring this work to a close aboard the “Disco Motorboat” – the composer’s nod to the “Soul Train.” The echoes of everyday music that form the source materials for this work are a reminder that we are surrounded by unceasing music – at the mall, being gaily serenaded by smarmy, unseen violins; on the phone, consigned to the eternal hold with its assuasive Muzak; and at home, being lulled to sleep by the television.
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