Inspired by Joan Mitchell’s expressionist painting La Seine, James Matheson’s work parallels the painting in its wildly energetic exploration of texture. Matheson covers much ground within 4 minutes, and this is at times a study in tremolos between contrasting fingerings for one pitch, creating timbral intensity. La Seine was commissioned by the Albany Symphony for its English hornist Nathan Fossner, and has also been transcribed by the composer for alto saxophone.