As the title suggests, this work is in bar form (AAB, with

two Stollen and one Abgesang). In addition, each of the

Stollen is a miniature variation form, while the Abgesang
is another small-scale bar form. Each section of the
variations, and indeed practically
every segment, phrase, and even
the
gesture of the work in some way
highlight of
reflect bar form.
the year
Hans Sachs, was, of course, the reallife Meistersinger as well as the
character in the Wagner opera. The
art of the Meistersinger was to
compose within their strict, albeit
perhaps arbitrary system of rules,
making composition as much sport as
art. I hope to echo that here.
-notes by the composer

came Nov. 9
with Justin
Merritt's
Five
Preludes for
piano
-Peter
Schimpf,
Bloomington
Independent

Several times I wrote "Wow!" next to

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

justinmerrit

NOTES ON THE PROGRAM

In
2 00 0
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 Indiana University.
He studied composition
demands
with Samuel Adler, Svenan audience's
David Sandstrm, Claude
attention
Baker, Timothy Kramer, Don Freund,
Merritt's
and electronic and computer music
piece was the
with Jeffrey Hass. He is currently
standout.
Assistant Professor of Composition at
-Rob
St. Olaf College.
He resides in
Hubbard,
Northfield, Minnesota with his wife
Pioneer Press
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

Bar for Hans Sachs

for flute solo

Stollen
Var I

Justin Merritt

q3

&#
S-f

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***j U

&
!
n

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
#

>
!
p
!

Var II 3 1/2"

**

S
2"

& .
P

^
rK U
^
n
". #
v

*** ( j) , ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
b U
R
P
f
p

3 1/2" sound grows darker and more intense

# n b

&

,
. . . . . . * # . . . .

3
S
S-f
S P5
P

4"
very wide vib

n
p

j
#

b
F

2"

Var IV

q# molto flessibile
. . slow gliss $ . $ .
! poss
p
p
!

* a tiny breath pause, out of meter

** should blend seemlessly from the wide vibrato
*** end pattern on this pitch

Var III

q
b . . U b .
"
p
P

j n j.
n .
!
p

Copyright 1998 (c) Justin Merritt (ASCAP)

Published by JMKrause
All rights reserved

#
! poss
Var V

# # n

.
J
p

narrow vib

#
b
R U"
p

1 1/2"

. #.
p
!

. .
!
p

j
& n j. # .
!

. .
p

b b b.
&
b
.
&

Var VII

b .

4 1/2"

b .

3
q#

" "#

&

" "
! F !

.q
&
S-f
Var I

S
3

* avoid a sense of beat

2"

# #

# #
p
f

j n j.
n .
p
P
*

>

# >
f

3 1/2"
> # > > > b > n >

>
# > #

>

b >

b >

4" incredibly precise - like a diamond drill

. . b .
b . n .
p

. b .

3"

>

> # >

key clicks
. . b n
.
. .

5"
sotto voce

$
.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
p
P
brighter

darker

# # b n b n b

Stollen

$ . $ .

b
b

b b

Var VI

,
. . . . . .

. .

#
#

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

815 thye parkway northfield, mn

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

!
!
!

Janus Mask!................................................................................................................................
!
winds in 2s
River of Blood!...........................................................................................................................winds in 2s
Dervish!.......................................................................................................................................winds in 2s
Lachryme!............................................................................................................................string orchestra

!
!
!
!
!
!
!

solo

Corde natus!........................................................................................................................................SATB
Lamentations!.....................................................................................................................................SATB
Nativity!...............................................................................................................................................SATB
Adoro Te Devote!...............................................................................................................................SATB
Fire Sermon!..................................................................................................................SSATB & orchestra
Dissonance!...................................................................................................................................song cycle
Dhammapada!..............................................................................................................................song cycle
London Thoroughfare, 2AM!.........................................................................tenor, horn, violin, & piano
May Evening in Central Park.........................................................................................
!
baritone & piano
5 Preludes!............................................................................................................................................piano
Chaconne: Mercy Endures!................................................................................................................piano
Windchimes!.........................................................................................................................................piano
Standard Deviation!...........................................................................................................................violin
Veloce!.....................................................................................................................................violin & piano
Coupling!..............................................................................................................................................organ
Drum Break!.................................................................................................................................percussion

!
!
!
!

chamber

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

choral/vocal

orchestral

other compositions by justinmerritt

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