Golden Midnight Blue (2022)
Commissioned by Dr. Kevin Sütterlin and April Ann Brock as a gift to the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra
Instrumentation: 2222, 423, timp+2, strings
Duration: 5 Minutes
Program Note:
Golden Midnight Blue. Imagine a golden sun searing through an evening skyline. Darkness, clouds, glowing buildings and illuminated streets….and in the distance shines a brilliant beam of light. In this piece, I have set that vision to music.
As you listen, I invite you to consider the following possibilities. The percussion sparks a downhill cascading intro, after which an image starts to come into view––the full string section urgently ascends into a blinding light, an off-kilter signal from the brass and percussion pulls us down into the depths, and we are off on our journey. In the first section, we follow the solo clarinet through a dark avenue until we are met by striking fanfares. In the section second, the kaleidoscopic rotation between day and night increases in tempo, featuring a driving pulse and oboe duet that echoes the clarinet’s nocturnal theme. The tempo continues to accelerate, until finally the music pulls back for a third section that features the strings in a soaring melody. This short overture glories in the night, searches for the sun, and sometimes travels in between, hoping to find music itself.