Adam Glaser

String Orchestra Version (2018)

Instrumentation: Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Violoncello, Double Bass

Duration: 8' 

Commission: Commissioned by the Tenafly (NJ) High School Orchestra, James Millar, Music Director.   

Premiere: Thursday, May 17, 2018, Tenafly High School, led by the composer.

Composer’s Note: String Orchestra Version (2018)

Among the many topics I enjoy discussing over lunch with my friend and colleague, Jim Millar, the Brahms symphonies are among the most popular. We both happen to share a particular fondness for the final movement of the Fourth Symphony, which takes the form of an orchestral passacaglia.  When accepting Jim’s commission to compose a new work for his highly advanced string orchestra in Tenafly, New Jersey, it was clear to me that the passacaglia would have to be the guiding framework.

Originating in early-17^th century Spain, the passacaglia is “a continuous variation based on a clearly distinguishable ostinato that normally appears in the bass but that may occasionally be transferred to an upper voice” (Harvard Dictionary of Music).  True to the form’s origins, the Brahms passacaglia is set in a triple meter, with an 8-note ground bass cast 30 consecutive times in strict 8-bar format before yielding to a rousing coda.  While I also begin with the 8-note / 8-bar format, and ultimately cast a few of the variations in triple meter, I have taken some liberties with the concept, exploring a few other keys, tempi and meters.  The 8-note ground bass might be stated over 8 bars, compressed into 4 bars, spread over 16 bars, and even fragmented or twisted into other material.

As a tribute to the orchestra’s hometown, I’ve created two musical “signatures” inspired by the town of Tenafly. Like the passacaglia, the town of Tenafly also has its origins in the 17^th century.  Back in 1688, Dutch settlers came up with the name ''Tiene Vly'’ which means “ten swamps.”  The “ground bass” is an 8-note theme that launches with an ascending 10^th, an interval that comes to play an important role throughout the work.  I also turned to the town's postal zip code for a bit of inspiration, translating 07670 into scale degrees, treating the “wildcard” zero as the 8^th scale degree (the top of the octave).  The net result: a theme based on the pitches/scale degrees 8-7-6-7-8.  

Adam Glaser
April 9, 2018
Englewood, New Jersey

Full Orchestra Version (2025)

Instrumentation: 2 Flutes (2^nd doubles on Piccolo), 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in A (Bb transposed parts available), 2 Bassoons, 4 Horns in F, 3 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, 1 Tuba, Timpani, Percussion (3 players: Bass Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Crash Cymbals, Snare Drum, Tambourine, Castanets, Xylophone), Harp or Piano (optional), Violin I, Violin II, Viola, Violoncello, Double Bass.

Duration: 8' 

Dedication: Full orchestra version dedicated to the South Shore Symphony, Rockville Centre, Long Island (NY).

Premiere: Saturday, January 31, 2026 by the South Shore Symphony, led by the composer.

Back to Compositions