Cherise D. Leiter, Composer

Chroma (2012)

Medium: flute/alto flute and cello

Length: ~9 min

Chroma, a three movement work for flute and cello, was commissioned by Dr. Michelle Batty Stanley. Each movement represents one of the beautiful colors found in the Colorado landscape: “Spanish Red,” (the origin of the state name), for our lovely red rocks, “Aspen Green/Aspen Gold” for the incessant, shimmering movement of the aspen leaves, and “Blue Mountain Sky Stream” for our vast sky and rushing waters. “Spanish Red” uses two main melodies woven between the alto flute and cello. The second movement uses tremolo, trills, and pitch bends or slides to indicate the continuous motion of the aspen leaves throughout the seasons. The final movement is a fast, syncopated movement with numerous octave passages between the two instruments.

(cover photo by DerrickGleasonPhotography.com)