In Sequence is a work for chamber orchestra that incorporates different kinds of musical sequences, including sequences of pitches, chords, timbres, orchestrations, and even quotation. The work's genesis comes from a desire I have long held to write a nearly endless circle of fifths progression. This urge is realized near the middle of the piece when a quasi-quotation of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2. This quotation begins in familiar territory but quickly begins to unravel as the tempo grows faster. Ultimately, the progression is transformed into something new entirely. This recontextualization of a musical idea serves as the centerpiece of the work.
Most of the harmony and melody in In Sequence is derived directly from an (0158) tetrachord. This unifies the harmonic character of the piece. The piece as a whole is, in fact, a sequence of treatments of this tetrachord: First, as melodic chains, second as tonal interrelationships, third as harmonic blocks and fourth as a synthesis of these ideas. Timbre and rhythm are also subjected to sequential treatment. Altogether, these processes result in a work that is at once familiar, and yet, somehow unrecognizable.
Trevor Matthews, February 2012