Jacob Dalager

Suite Analogique

As the winner of the 2020 Robert Avalon International Competition for Composers, *Suite Analogique* is a virtuosic four-movement work for brass quintet. The piece is based on an analogy: The two pairs of movements are in the same relationship to one another—"I. Work" relates to "II. Play" just as "III. Retreat" relates to "IV. Chase." In other words, each pair of movements is based on the same musical material but treats it in opposite ways. The first pair draws on the music of the African diaspora: "Work" is a work song reminiscent of the melodic character of the work music sung on slave plantations; "Play" then takes up the same material and transforms it into a dance-like celebration based on an Afro-Cuban bembé. The second pair takes a more Western European approach: "Retreat" is a slow, haunting movement, while "Chase" turns the material completely on its head—a fast-paced, cartoonish, and humorous chase. 3rd Prize – The American Prize, Chamber Music Composition, 2023 2nd Prize – Robert Avalon International Composition Competition, 2020 Audience Award from the Foundation for Modern Music, 2022