"Lake Music" Concerto (2016)

Program Notes:

The instrumentation of this concerto is roughly modeled after that of the Hindemith horn concerto; however, I have opted to use piano instead of timpani and have scored for solo strings instead of mutltiples. The Hindemith concerto also features a poem in the third movement, written by Hindemith himself, in which the horn responds to recited lines. The first two lines,

Mein Rufen wandelt

In herbstgetönten Hain den Saal,

roughly translate to,

My call transforms

The hall into an autumn toned grove,

The imagery of “the autumn toned grove” resonated with me in capturing the essence of the first movement and the scene that inspired it, hence the title “autumn toned.”

The second movement “Evenfall” can be interpreted as a continuation of autumnal imagery, but more specifically refers to the complete setting of the sun and the arrival of total darkness.

The title of the third movement “Skyglow” refers to the phenomenon of the sky around urban areas appearing to glow as a result of light pollution, especially in hazy or overcast conditions.

The subtitle of the concerto “Lake Music” provides the context that the music is inspired by visits to Lake Erie and Lake Ontario during my time in Rochester, and the impressions they made on me. The lakes themselves, as well as the individual scenes that inspire the music, are charged with potent symbolism.