THE OUTLAW IN THE GILDED AGE (2010)
Vl, Cl, Hn, Bari Sax, Piano
Duration ca. 13:30
PROGRAM NOTES
In three movements:
Sawmill Shootup
Madame Maude & Her Whiskey Chorus
The Train Caper
In American history, the “Gilded Age” refers to the era of economic growth and industrial innovation that bridged the gap from the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the twentieth century. One defining aspect of this time period was Western expansion; it was in this 35-year stretch that the American frontier was diminished, slowly but surely, into something much more tame and controlled. This piece examines that process by basing each of its three movements on a piece of crucial frontier machinery - a lumber mill, a player piano, and finally a driving locomotive. It hopes to capture the energy and optimism of Westward expansion along with some of the loneliness, tragedy, and melancholy.
Premiered by Leah Asher, Brad Cherwin, Kyra Sims, Kevin Baldwin, and Baris Buyukyildirm in Greenfield Hall, New York, NY (November 2010).
SCORE PREVIEW
