Lured by the Horizon

PROGRAM NOTES:

Lured by the Horizon for Orchestra (2005) was made possible by a Predoctoral Fellowship from The University of Michigan Horace H. Rackham Graduate School and it is lovingly dedicated by my parents, Carl and Linda. It was premiered by The University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Nikolas Caoile, on March 14, 2006 at Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

 The work unfolds through five attacca movements or “snapshots” of the Pacific Northwest.

I. Growth examines the adaptability, hopeful nature, and adventurous spirit of the people who lived in the region during the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries. Since the 1840s and into the present, people have moved west with the hope of building a better life. This led to boomtowns throughout the region during the gold rush period (1848-56) and logging camps during the Depression-era (1929-41).

 II. Rust is based on a set of photographs taken by the composer in 2004, which examine the contrast between the rich natural beauty of the region with evidence of the dire economic depression that follows the collapse of an exploitative industry.

III. Currents considers the Columbia River Basin that extends from Oregon to Canada, and from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho; it provides food, commerce, hydroelectric power, and recreational entertainment for the region. The river’s magnificent beauty and surprisingly treacherous undercurrents inspire two musical motives which guide the listener through the movement.

 IV. Cut focuses on the dual nature of the logging industry as both an employer of thousands of people and the catalyst for severe environmental changes in the region. This drama is underscored by juxtaposing a dissonant harmonic language with stark woodwind interjections and string pizzicati.

V. Return is inspired by photographs taken by the composer in 2004 of abandoned barns being re-absorbed by nature. Framed in a tonal harmonic musical language, musical materials from the previous four movements are combined to evoke how the end of one entity can foster and enrich that which follows.

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-  Notes by Andrea Reinkemeyer
These notes may be used with proper attribution.

LISTEN:

University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra; Nicholas Caoile, conductor >

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