Lured by the Horizon for orchestra.

Abstract

<bold>Lured by the Horizon</bold> for symphony orchestra [picc, 1, 2, (b cl)-2, (cbsn)-2; 4-3-3-1; timp-3 perc, pno(celesta); strings] is in five movements or snapshots of the Pacific Northwest: <italic>Growth, Rust, Currents, Cut</italic>, and <italic>Return</italic>. The first movement, <italic>Growth </italic>, examines the adaptability, hopeful nature, and adventurous spirit of the people who lived in the region during the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-centuries. Since the 1840s and into the present, people have moved west with the hope of building a better life. This led to boomtowns throughout the region during the gold rush period (1848-56) and logging camps during the Depression-era (1929-41). <italic>Rust</italic> is based on a set of photographs taken by the composer in 2004 that examine the contrasts between the rich natural beauty of the region with evidence of the dire economic depression that follows the collapse of an exploitative industry. Musically, this movement is constructed of a six-note motive, accompanied by dissonant chords, which repeat throughout the movement. In <italic>Currents</italic> I consider the Columbia River Basin that extends from Oregon to Canada, and from the Pacific Ocean to Idaho; it provides food, commerce, hydroelectric power, and recreational entertainment for the region. The river's magnificent beauty and surprisingly treacherous undercurrents inspire two musical motives: one played by the bassoon and bass clarinet the other for glockenspiel and celesta. <italic>Cut</italic> focuses on the dual nature of the logging industry as both an employer of thousands of people and the catalyst for severe environmental changes in the region. This drama is underscored by juxtaposing a dissonant harmonic language with stark woodwind interjections and string <italic>pizzicati. Return</italic> is inspired by my emotional reactions to photographs that I took in 2004 of abandoned barns being re-absorbed by nature. Framed in a tonal harmonic musical language, I combine musical materials from the previous four movements to evoke how the end of one entity can foster and enrich that which follows.