Garrop, Stacy: Little Bits

five miniature movements

little bits was written in the summer of 2000 at the Atlantic Center for the Arts. Each composer who came to the Center wrote a piece while in residence, which was rehearsed and premiered by the Eberli Ensemble (who were also in residence with guest composer Aaron Jay Kernis). Given the brevity of time in which to write, I chose to compose super-short movements, each focusing on a specific set of parameters, colors, and textures. For instance, the first movement deals with a twelve-tone row that could only be manipulated in specific ways, while the second is a short tribute to American composer George Crumb. The piece concludes with a slightly longer movement that is both a whirlwind and a smorgasborg of three different bits. -S.G.