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Title	Ab Uno  NEW!
Article no.	4123224
Category	Concert/wind/brass band
Subcategory	Concert music
Instrumentation	Ha (concert/wind band)
Format	PrtStm (full score and parts)
Country of publication	Switzerland (ch)
Publisher *	Rossier Eigenverlag
Composer	Rossier, Theo
Difficulty level	5
Additional info/contents	In Theo Rossier's composition "Ab Uno," metamorphosis refers to the ongoing transformation of an initial musical idea. Rossier uses the opening bars of Paul Huber's "Adagio for Solo Cello" as a germinal cell and develops them rhythmically, melodically, and sonically. Through different variations, instrumentations, and musical relationships, the material changes its form and function, yet remains recognizable. Its adaptation for a top-level wind orchestra results in a new sound world. The result is not merely an arrangement, but an independent composition. "Ab Uno" demonstrates how a single musical idea can, through transformation and further development, give rise to a multifaceted musical progression. (© musicainfo.net)
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Available from	2027-01-01

Programme notes *: Metamorphosis as a Compositional Principle in Theo Rossier's "Ab Uno" - From Musical Starting Point to Transformation The term "metamorphosis" refers to a fundamental transformation in which the original form of an object is altered while its identity or an essential connection is preserved. In music, metamorphosis describes the progressive transformation of a musical idea. A motif, a theme, or a sonic concept is not simply repeated, but rather transferred into new rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, and instrumental contexts. This distinguishes musical metamorphosis from mere arrangement. In an arrangement, the original material is usually largely retained and, for example, adapted for a different ensemble. Metamorphosis goes further: The musical material changes its form, its function, and its sonic effect. Nevertheless, the connection to the origin remains recognizable. It is precisely from the tension between the familiar and the new that the special effect of this process arises. • The Germ of “Ab Uno” Theo Rossier’s composition “Ab Uno” for top-level wind orchestra already hints at this principle of development through its title. “Ab Uno” roughly translates to “from one” or “from one.” It refers to a single musical starting point from which the further course of the composition unfolds. Rossier uses the opening bars of Paul Huber’s “Adagio for Solo Cello” as a musical germ. However, this material is not adopted as an unaltered theme. Rather, it forms the basis for an ongoing process of transformation. The original ideas appear in rhythmically and melodically altered forms, are fragmented, expanded, or condensed, and enter into different musical contexts. On a rhythmic level, altered note values, accentuations, or metrical relationships can lend the material a new character of movement. A seemingly tranquil idea can become a lively or tense impulse. The melodic form is also further developed. The original outline remains partially recognizable, but can be redirected through altered intervals, shortenings, or extensions. This process gains additional significance through the instrumentation. The soloistic sound of the cello is transformed into the nuanced soundscape of a top-level wind orchestra. Different instrument groups, registers, and timbres can highlight, overlay, or combine individual components of the source material. The instrumentation is therefore not merely a transposition, but an essential element of the musical metamorphosis. • Independence through Transformation The connection to Paul Huber remains in "Ab Uno" as the origin of the musical material. However, Rossier's composition is not simply an arrangement or homage. Crucially, the borrowed idea enters into new relationships and thereby acquires its own independent meaning. A motif is shaped by its musical environment. In interplay with other timbres, rhythmic movements, harmonic tensions, and orchestral layers, its function can change. A melodic line might become a rhythmic impulse, a complete theme a fragment, or a soloistic idea a component of a complex ensemble sound. "Ab Uno" can therefore be understood as a development from the singular to the multifaceted. From limited initial material, a multi-layered musical progression emerges. The unity of the work is not based on the constant repetition of an unchanged theme, but rather on the recognizable kinship of its various manifestations. • In "Ab Uno," metamorphosis denotes the comprehensive development of an initial musical idea. Theo Rossier takes the opening bars of Paul Huber's "Adagio for Solo Cello" and, through rhythmic, melodic, tonal, and formal transformations, leads them into a new musical reality. The origin remains perceptible while the material continuously transforms. Thus, the result is not merely an instrumental transposition, but an independent composition. "Ab Uno" exemplifies how a single musical idea can, through alteration and new relationships, develop into a complex and autonomous progression. • Text: © musicainfo.net (KI)

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