The Long Valley
Jeffrey Parola
About this work:
PROGRAM NOTES
The Long Valley
by Jeffrey Parola
“I remember my childhood names for grasses and secret flowers. I remember where a toad may live and what time the birds awaken in the summer – and what trees and seasons smelled like – how people looked and walked and smelled even. The memory of odors is very rich.”
- John Steinbeck, East of Eden
In 1952, John Steinbeck penned the above passage within the first page of the monumental novel, East of Eden. Though the plotline runs parallel to the Genesis story, Steinbeck’s ultimate intention for writing the novel was to paint a detailed image of California’s Salinas Valley, Steinbeck’s homeland, for his two young sons.
Just a couple of years ago, I stumbled across an attractive edition of the book at a bookstore, bought it, and read it for the very first time. Because I was born and raised in Salinas, I was immediately drawn in by the first chapter, where Steinbeck colorfully describes the sights, sounds, and smells of the Salinas Valley.
I experienced all of the things of which he spoke, the goods and the bads, the beautiful and the ugly; and my heart immediately welled up with nostalgia of memories sweet and sorrowful, conjured by images sketched by Steinbeck’s unrestrained and poetic honesty.
Consequently, the novel inspired a very personal, nostalgic orchestral work, entitled The Long Valley. This title, drawn from another literary work by Steinbeck, was chosen to keep focus on my perception of the Salinas Valley as inspired by East of Eden, while avoiding the titular literary weight of the work.
The Long Valley attempts to place at the center of Steinbeck’s raw reflection my personal memories of the Salinas Valley. I dedicate The Long Valley to my mother and father, in gratitude.
Year composed: 2008
Duration: 00:12:30
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 3 Flute, 3 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 3 Clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, 3 Bassoon, 1 Contrabassoon, 4 Horn in F, 4 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 1 Marimba, 1 Vibraphone, 1 Piano, 1 Celesta, 1 Strings (General), 1 Other Percussion Instrument(s)
Instrumentation notes: Other percussion: Bass Drum, Glockenspiel, Sus. Cymbal, Tambourine, Tam-tam, Triangle