Indices (Ballet Version) [Full Score): Full Score

Indices presents a rare opportunity to conduct a major work by one of the 20th century's most intellectually rigorous composers without needing to abandon traditional notation. The ballet version opens pathways into Brown's world of indeterminacy and structural experimentation while remaining accessible to orchestras ready for something genuinely new.

Indices inhabits a space between controlled structure and organic growth, where musical lines emerge and recede with the fluidity of movement rather than dramatic gesture. The ballet version carries an inherent kinetic quality, suggesting motion without literal narrative, creating soundscapes that feel both precise and mysteriously fluid.

This work serves orchestras and string ensembles with experience reading contemporary notation and a commitment to expanding their interpretive range. Conductors seeking to program significant 20th-century repertoire beyond the mainstream canon will find this substantial challenge rewarding.

• Study the score's notation system carefully before rehearsals begin. Brown's approach differs from conventional graphic notation; understanding his visual language ensures consistent interpretations across sections.
• Balance independence among string sections with collective ensemble listening. The piece rewards both individual musical autonomy and acute awareness of what surrounding voices are doing.
• Explore different approaches to pacing and interpretation at sectional rehearsals before locking into a final version. The ballet context may invite experimentation with timing that benefits from ensemble discussion.

Position this as a centerpiece on a contemporary music concert or as the anchor work on a 20th-century focused program exploring compositional innovation. Its substantial 182-page score signals a commitment to serious repertoire exploration and pairs naturally with other works by experimental composers of Brown's generation.

• Reading and interpreting non-traditional notational systems
• Responding to conductor leadership in music with variable structural forms
• Balancing ensemble unity with individual interpretive choices
• Sustaining musical lines across passages without traditional harmonic anchors
• Collaborative problem-solving in rehearsal when notation is intentionally open to interpretation