Quiescence, originally written by Rebecca Steinberg and Thomas Sullivan for trumpet and trombone, was born out of a live improvisation session. The two artists transcribed a recording of their improvisation, forming a replicable rendition of their music while keeping the fluidity and spontaneity of the live performance. Part of Sullivan’s “Tiny Duet” series, the miniature piece was inspired by the two artists’ interest in playing repertoire for trombone and trumpet that’s interesting and new. In this video, the trombone part is transposed for Owen Caprell to perform on the different voicing of the bass trombone.

Steinberg began working with Metropolis Ensemble in 2015, when she took part in a six-weekend series titled Drifting in Daylight, which took place on a boat in Central Park. The event featured performance artist Ragnar Kjartansson’s innovative creation, SS Hangover, which saw Metropolis brass players perform a hymn by composer Kjartan Sveinsson (formerly of Sigur Rós) on a vintage Icelandic fishing boat that continuously looped through Harlem Meer for six hours a day. In addition to her work with Metropolis, Steinberg is the leader of brass quintet Calliope Brass. — Vanessa Ague

 
Episode: 07
Date: April 21, 2020
Artist: Rebecca Steinberg and Owen Caprell
Instrumentation: Trumpet and Tronbone
Work: “Quiescence"
Composer: Thomas Sullivan and Rebecca Steinberg
Location: Inwood, NY
 

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