Black Widow by Bradley Baird

The first deadly spider that comes to mind for many people is the black widow spider. Its daunting characteristics and portrayal in pop culture makes it widely known and recognized. While brainstorming titles for this work, I was (un)fortunate enough to have an encounter with one. Afterwards, I began comparing this experience with characteristics of the piece and found many parallels between the eerie nature of the spider and what was written for the ensemble. The first sound you hear from the snare drum soloist is the swirling of their hand in circles around the drum which calls to mind the spinning of a spider’s web. Additionally, the swelling dynamics performed by the marimbas evoke the lurking of a spider in the environment. Black Widow is a challenging ensemble that will test both musical and technical capabilities of all performers.