Instrumentation: pierrot ensemble - flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion

Duration: 9’30

Premiere: April 12, 2022 at Daniel Recital Hall in Greenville, SC

Performers: Jack Markowitz, Kayla Stone, Christian Casiano, Ryan Singer, Nolan Anthony, Jensen Thomassie, and Nick Wilson

Program Notes: Accismus is a one movement pierrot ensemble for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and percussion. Accismus is a form of irony in which a person feigns indifference to or pretends to refuse something they desire. An example of this is Aesop's Fable, “The Fox and the Grapes.” The story concerns a fox that tries to eat grapes from a vine but cannot reach them. Rather than admit defeat, he states they are undesirable.

In order to accurately depict this idea, the piece is divided into three sections. The first slow section is the refusal, the second energetic section is the secret desire creeping in, and the final slow section is the person choosing not to ignore their desires.