Wherever you turn, there is the Face of

God. -Quran Surah Baqara 2:1115

The Dervish are members Sufi Muslim
mendicant ascetics known for their
poetry. The whirling Dervishes dance
comes from the Mevlevi Order in Turkey
who traces its origin
to the poet Rumi. The
the
dance slowly
highlight of
accelerates over
the year
minutes or hours to
came Nov. 9
an ecstatic spiritual
with Justin
climax. The sect is
Merritt's
still active in Turkey,
Five
and is led by Rumis
Preludes for
20th great-grandson.
piano
-Peter
This Dervish does not
Schimpf,
attempt to imitate
Bloomington
traditional Mevlevi
Independent
music (which
typically includes a
male choir). Instead, I have borrowed
freely from Middle Eastern music,
Romani music, Bollywood, and
contemporary classical techniques. The
main reference to the Dervish is in tempo.
The work very slowly accelerates
through the first half before collapsing
into a perpetual accelerando in which
the tempo constantly accelerates even
while the overall feeling of motion
remains strangely constant. The work
ends with a dramatic rit. all the way
down to quarter=0.
-notes by the composer

Several times I wrote "Wow!" next to

a work being played...
-Peter Jacobi, Herald Times

justinmerrit

NOTES ON THE PROGRAM

In 2000 composer Justin

Merritt (bn. 1975) was the
youngest-ever winner of the
ASCAP Foundation/Rudolph
Nissim Award for Janus Mask.
He is also the winner of a host
of other awards including the
2008-09 Copland Award, the
2008 Minnesota Orchestra
Composer Institute Prize for
River of Blood, and the 2006
Polyphonos Prize

He received his Bachelors

from Trinity University and
his
Masters
and
Doctorate
from
demands
Indiana
University.
an audience's
He
studied
attention
composition
with
Merritt's
Samuel Adler, Svenpiece was the
David
Sandstrm,
standout.
Claude
B a k e r,
-Rob
Timothy Kramer, Don
Hubbard,
Freund,
and
Pioneer Press
electronic
and
computer music with
Jeffrey Hass. He is currently Assistant
Professor of Composition at St. Olaf
College.
He resides in Northfield,
Minnesota with his wife Yuedong and
their children Cullen Fang Ouxiang and
Molly Fang Qinghe.

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y n o r t h f i e l d , m n 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m

Instrumentation
Flute 1-2 (flt. 2 dbl. picc.)
Oboe 1-2 (ob. 2 dbl. Eng. hrn.)
Bb Clarinet 1-2 (cl. 2 dbl. b. cl.)
Bassoon 1-2 (bsn. dbl. cbsn.)
Horn 1-4
Trumpet 1-2
Trombone
Bass Trombone
Timpani (set of 4)
Percussion (2 players)
Tom Toms, Floor Tom, Dumbek, Bongos,
Bass Drum, Tam Tam, Shaker, Tambourine, Sleighbells
Strings

commissioned by
Steve Amundson & the
St. Olaf Orchestra

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y n o r t h f i e l d , m n 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m

Dervish

Dur: c. 5' 30"

for orchestra

Piccolo

Flute

Oboe

English Horn

Clarinet in Bb 1-2

Bassoon 1-2

Horn in F 1-2

Horn in F 3-4

" #!
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Senza misura, quasi cadenza

free $time, give only large cues at barlines

Furious q = 136

#
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Justin Merritt

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Trumpet in C 1-2

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Trombone
Bass Trombone

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Timpani

Bass Drum

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Furious q = 136

div. a3

Violin I

ffp

Violin II

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solo, very free, quasi cadenza, non-sync.

ffp

Solo Viola

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div a2

Viola

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Violoncello

.//////
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Double Bass

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Copyright 2009 Justin Merritt (ASCAP)

All rights reserved
Published by Moon East
www.mooneast.com

'

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Hn. 3-4

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Fl. Tom

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Vln. I

Vln. II

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gliss downward while executing tremolo, expressive

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bery slow trill by moving the hand in and out of the bell, ghostly

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Vln. II

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this is a sample only

to purchase the complete score or parts and
for other compositions by justinmerritt please visit:

www.mooneast.com
or send emails to

info@mooneast.com

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y n o r t h f i e l d , m n 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m

"
"
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choral orchestral

"
"
"
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"

solo

"
!
"
"
"
"

Standard Deviation".............................................................................................violin
Bar for Hans Sachs".................................................................................................flute
Veloce".......................................................................................................violin & piano
Coupling"................................................................................................................organ
Drum Break"...................................................................................................percussion

chamber

!
"
!
!

Janus Mask"..................................................................................................
"
winds in 2s
River of Blood".............................................................................................winds in 2s
Dervish".........................................................................................................winds in 2s
Lachryme"..............................................................................................string orchestra
Monster"........................................................................................................winds in 3s

A Gauze of Misted Silver"..........................................................string quartet & harp

Ravening"..................................................................................................string quartet
Invocation"....................................................................................................8 solo brass
The Day Florestan Murdered Magister Raro"............clarinet, violin, cello, & piano
Trio".................................................................................................violin, cello, & piano

piano

"

5 Preludes"..............................................................................................................piano
Chaconne: Mercy Endures"..................................................................................piano
Rococo Suite"..........................................................................................................piano
Sierpinski Gasket"..................................................................................................piano
Windchimes"...........................................................................................................piano
Hive"...................................................................................................4 pianos, 16 hands

vocal

other compositions by justinmerritt

Dissonance".....................................................................................................song cycle
Steps Into Stillness"........................................................................................song cycle
Dhammapada"................................................................................................song cycle
London Thoroughfare, 2AM"...........................................tenor, horn, violin, & piano
May Evening in Central Park...........................................................
!
baritone & piano

Corde natus"..........................................................................................................SATB
Lamentations".......................................................................................................SATB
Hay Das"......................................................................................................SMsATBrB
Nativity".................................................................................................................SATB
Adoro Te Devote".................................................................................................SATB
Fire Sermon"....................................................................................SSATB & orchestra

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y n o r t h f i e l d , m n 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m