Episode 80 — January 21, 2021
Jillian Flexner: "Variations on Jigglypuff’s Lullaby" for bassoon and electronics
Performed by Allison Nicotera

Composer Jillian Flexner is interested in infusing the often austere contemporary music scene with a bit more silliness. Her piece, Variations on Jigglypuff’s Lullaby, does just this: it presents four different variations of Jigglypuff’s Lullaby from the beloved anime, Pokémon. In the show, the character, Jigglypuff, would sing a lullaby that put everyone in the room to sleep; Jigglypuff would then become enraged and draw with thick black markers on everyone’s faces as they slept.

This arrangement of the piece, for bassoon and electronics, is a new rendition; Flexner originally wrote the piece nine years ago for bassoon and soprano for her and her friend to perform. Here, the arrangement is performed by bassoonist Allison Nicotera, who’s been friends with Flexner for about seven years, when they met at a performance of one of Flexner’s operas. In this piece, Flexner combines a series of distinct, playful melodies that use the show’s themes as a jumping off point—fermatas signify moments where Jigglypuff might fall asleep or jolt back awake, for example. Nicotera immediately enjoyed this piece because of its skillful combination of lightness and bassoon technique—it easily comes to life, drawing you in with its effortless exuberance. This performance marks Flexner’s first collaboration with Metropolis Ensemble; Nicotera has been working with the group since 2017.

Variations on Jigglypuff's Lullaby is dedicated to those friends of all shapes and sizes, who warm our hearts and inspire us, and especially Clara.

Notes by Vanessa Ague

 
House Music: Bite-sized concerts recorded at homes around the world

In 2020-21, we created a weekly video series featuring short-form concerts of newly-commissioned works, supporting 208 artists around the world during the pandemic.