The Long and Short of It

Composed by Paul Lanksy, The Long and Short of It for Wind Quintet was inspired by the third movement of Mozart’s Serenade for Winds, K. 361. Lanksy was particularly drawn to Mozart’s accompaniment, which he refers to as “the ultimate expression of breath in music. Nothing else quite captures the same sense of wind instruments inhaling and exhaling as only winds can.” Five of the movements in Lansky’s composition use Mozart’s rhythm accompanying a solo, and the remaining four movements focus on musical concepts such as rhythm, harmony, and counterpoint. This piece was commissioned by The Library of Congress’ Carolyn Royall Just Fund and The Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.