Abstract
The first of the three “excursions” taken in this piece, Prelude and Landscapes, begins with the flute playing a melody line supported by chords and occasionally ornamented by arpeggios in the harp. The movement closes with two aural landscapes–the first painted by a harp solo of full, colorful chords, the second by a chromatic flute solo. After that is “Arietta Della Campagna,” the most lyrical of the three excursions. “Bicycle Ride” is light and cute, consisting of many repetitive, circular note patterns that work to give the impression of rolling bicycle wheels.
Marson is a harpist and this is reflected in his writing, with note patterns that fit the harpist's hands naturally and clear harp notation. The difficulty of the harp part is deceptive because, while it is not especially challenging for the fingers, the harmonies are not predictable and pedal changes occur with overwhelming frequency. Fortunately, these have all been written in. As the tide indicates, violin can be substituted in place of the flute, but the notes seem less idiomatic for the violin, and the timbre of the flute fits the piece more appropriately. The texture is relatively bare, which keeps the piece simple while also providing a good study in tone quality and evenness. However, it has its own interesting character; the chord qualities are reminiscent of jazz. This is a fun duet, both easy and interesting to listen to and to play.