I was inspired to compose a piece based off of themes from J.S. Bach's Organ Trio No. 1 in Eb Major, BWV 525. When I first began this work back in July, I decided to write it for and according to the preferences and skills of the performers that I had available and willing. In doing so, I hoped that I would actually get it played live (you'll notice that most of the music on my profile is still generated from Finale). Well, unfortunately, due to some ensuing drama and severing of ties and friendships, as well as a few other outlying circumstances, that fell through, but I wanted to finish what I started. Here's the score in its entirety, with audio generated by NotePerformer 3.3.2. If anybody is interested in trying the piece out for themselves, or would like for me to arrange it for an alternative ensemble, feel free to shoot me an email at trevormcintosh110@gmail.com. I should also have free .pdf's of the score and parts uploaded to my website here pretty soon, at trevortmcintosh.com.

I. Allegro moderato - a mostly joyous movement in Eb Major, organized in a kind of rondo form

II. Adagio - a slow and intensely somber A section in C Minor is followed by a more content (if somewhat austere and proud) B section in G Phrygian. The movement is then capped off with a fugal section that combines both themes in C Minor

III. Allegro - a celebratory, almost fanfare like section in Eb major is followed by a tense, almost wailing B section in F Dorian. The entire octet is then capped off with a fugue that recalls all of the themes from each movement.

Happy listening! :)

Octet No. 1 In Eb Major, Op. B9c: I. Allegro Moderato

Octet No. 1 In Eb Major, Op. B9c: II. Adagio

Octet No. 1 In Eb Major, Op. B9c: III. Allegro

Program notes from the premiere:

The first classical composition that I ever fully completed, Gemini is about a six-minute short tone poem for string quintet that I finished writing in the spring of 2017. The piece, a thankful dedication to my mother, is meant to illustrate her experiences of giving birth to me (hence the title of the composition indicating my birth sign), with the opening A section in a kind of G Mixolydian mode serving as the calm before the storm, when my family was just relaxing at home. The sudden, accented jolt on a G# diminished seven chord, followed by a swift, downward sixteenth note gesture that accompanies the conclusion of this section, are meant to symbolize, respectively, the baby beginning to kick and my mother’s water breaking. The B section, in A minor, is meant to feel frantic, with the constant ascending and descending notes in the viola and second violin meant as a metaphor for the rapidly rotating wheels of a car as my parents rush to the hospital. The C section (ha, get it?), in E major, is a triumphant celebration of the end of my mother’s pains and the love that she feels for her newborn once her laboring is done. The B’ section is a return to the car and towards my parents’ house, but this time in A major, devoid of the anxiety that attended them on their journey last time. Finally, the A’ section that closes out the piece is representative of my family’s arrival back at their home, but, this time, my mother has brought newfound joy with her, so, instead of in G Mixolydian, we conclude the piece in G major.

Gemini, Op. 1

Hello everyone! My name is Trevor McIntosh, and I'm a Dallas/Fort Worth area based up and coming music composer looking to share my passion with the world! At my alma mater, Southwestern University, I received two years of training under Dr. Jason Hoodergyde and around five months of instruction under Dr. Michael Mikulka. I write various forms of modern classical music and alternative rock music. As for now, I'll be using this channel to post any studio or live recordings of my music that I'm able to obtain!

Gemini, Op. 1

Trevor McIntosh

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