Diptych Eras: Two Millennia in Two Movements
Don Myers
About this work:
Mvt. I - The Greek Muse - "Shut-up Socrates"
Mvt. II - 1969: In Short, There is Simply Naught
Program note for Mvt. I :
The Greek Muse Program Note For "Shut Up Socrates"
Okay, so I admit it: I felt truly uninspired to write about inspiration. I procrastinated. My rationalization was: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But, fix what? What could be so mysterious and so tenuous that it inspired the Greeks’ personification as spirits of mischievous and fickle nature?
I’ll stall while I retell the story of how the title came about. My wife and I were watching a PBS documentary on ancient Greece and the “cult of Socrates” was being investigated. Apparently, Socrates was adored by his student followers and despised by almost everyone else. This antipathy was well earned. Socrates habitually dismembered his opponents’ debate premises until they resembled blocks of Swiss cheese. My wife remarked she imagined Socrates’ deflated challengers muttering their last retort, “Shut up, Socrates” as they skulked off with their badly bruised egos. And I sputtered, “Hey, I’ve got to write something called ‘Shut Up Socrates’.” So, the credit for this work’s title and inception goes to my wife, Anya.
Right, enough stalling. To me, inspiration is a spark that with careful attention can lead to a fire: a fire that if left unattended can rage out of control. But when it is fed and stoked with care, that same blaze can give warmth and light to an entire room. Whether that spark comes from a lighter or a lightening bolt, the initial flash needs shepherding. And that is what I do. And just like a real shepherd, 98% of the job is perspiration. Do I work hard because I’m inspired to? Or, is the inspiration a byproduct of rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. It’s the old “which came first, the chicken or the egg” debate dressed up in a toga. And while you muse on that conundrum, I’m going to wash my hands.
Program note for Mvt. II -
1969: In Short There Is Simply Naught...
Program Note
Both socially and politically, 1969 is an evocative year in our history. It ran the gamut of human experience from the violent, bloody war in Viet Nam to the naïve, peaceful gathering at Woodstock. In between, we lost once and for all the idyllic myth of the “Camelot” White House that evaporated in a cloud of scandal at Chappaquiddick. As Americans searched for distraction, pop culture mirrored these contradictions: from "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour" to "Monty Python’s Flying Circus" to "Laugh-in". And their music gave a voice to the underlying feelings of upheaval and the need to return to simpler times.
These were the thoughts that came to mind when I considered this concert’s theme. And musical fragments that expressed these conflicting ideas accompanied these thoughts: the image of families in front of the television as melodies poured forth from the screen. We all gathered to be soothed by the singsong opening theme of the Smothers Brothers. We longed for nostalgia that paraded to the antics of Monty Python. And we danced to the Party Music from Laugh-in. I incorporated these musical motives and others into this work that for me represents my impressions of this flashpoint in our history.
Year composed: 2010
Duration: 00:12:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 2 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 2 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 2 Trombone, 1 Timpani, 1 Percussion (General), 1 Marimba, 1 Strings (General), 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: 2nd Fl. double Picc.