Railway Nocturne (2019)
Wind Ensemble Instrumentation: Picc, Fl. (2), Ob. (2), Bsn. (2), Cl. (3), B.Cl., Alt. Sax (2), T. Sax, B. Sax, Tpts. (3), Horns (4), T-bones (3), Euph., Tuba, electric bass, Timp., Perc. (4), Piano.
Duration: 10 minutes
Order from Murphy Music Press
Commissioned by José Oliver Riojas and the University of Illinois Chicago Wind Ensemble
Program Note:
This music was inspired by a painting of Polish artist Marta Zamarska called A Railway Nocturne IV (pictured on the front cover of the score). I contemplated the mysterious image throughout the compositional process, pondering what might be in the mind of the solitary traveler in red at the train station. I imagined a sense of urgency and courageous determination in the woman, along with her conflicted desire to leave home. In the music I tried to convey the dark atmosphere of the station and pulsating momentum of trains, as well as the tumultuous inner world of the subject as she approaches the threshold, including her hopes, fears, and dreams of a new life.