Anything You Can Do

Program Note:

The title of this work, composed for clarinetist Renae Dishman and bassoonist Sara Erb, obviously refers to the childish refrain, "Anything you can do I can do better!" Initially thinking I would compose a set of canons, I soon decided to take a cue from the at times impish behavior of the dedicatees during IU New Music Ensemble rehearsals. Motivic cells in the first movement are derived from the names Renae (D-E-A-E) and Sara (G-A-D-A).

Performance notes:

Players should enact a duel, entering from opposite sides of the stage. Slowly and cautiously walk toward each other until face to face, then turn around, back to back, pause, take 5-10 paces away from each other, arriving at chairs & stands facing each other directly (not toward audience); all still with slow, measured movements and grim faces. Have the stands at a height that allows you to see each other clearly. To begin the piece, take a slow deep breath with no hint of the fast tempo, then burst into the flurry of the first movement. At the very end, the duel is abandoned, with a resigned sigh in the fnal gesture. Players might then smile and shake hands before acknowledging the audience.

David Dzubay, January, 2024