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A Letter Home (2004)
2/2/2/2; 2/2/b.trbn.; 2perc., hp; str.; ca. 8:30
Premiere
February 14, 2004
University Symphony Orchestra, Marcus Carpenter, conductor
Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Listen
Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra
Arie Lipsky, conductor
Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor
Mar. 5, 2005
A Letter Home is an extended song for orchestra dedicated to
my sister and written during a period of great pain in our family that began
with our father's sudden illness. I decided to express my emotions through
images of winter in Ann Arbor. Specifically, I was fascinated with the image of
wooden branches encased in ice after an ice storm. To me, this image represented
a beautiful kind of embrace, which seemed to me to offer comfort from the loss
she and I were suffering together.
This winter scene is depicted in the opening of the work and developed
throughout the rest of the piece. The first four notes of the opening melody,
played by solo flute, spell out my nickname for my sister: Alex. This melody is
answered by an inexact imitation played by the vibraphone and glockenspiel. This
three note melody spells out the name Teo, which is my sister's nickname for me.
Performance history
2006
October 28
University Orchestra, Stephen Tucker conductor
The Claire Trevor Theatre, UCI, Irvine
October 27
University Orchestra, Stephen Tucker conductor
The Claire Trevor Theatre, UCI, Irvine
October 20
University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Michael Griffith conductor
Central Wyoming College, Riverton, WY
October 19
University of Wyoming Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Michael Griffith conductor
Fine Arts Center, UW, Laramie, WY
2005
March 5
Ann Arbor Symphony, Arie Lipsky conductor
Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor
2004
June 29
Riverside Symphony, George Rothman conductor
Fordham University, New York
February 14 (premiere)
University Symphony Orchestra, Marcus Carpenter conductor
Hill Auditorium, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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