Train of Thought
Tyler Harrison
About this work:
In the past year, I have visited numerous domestic and international destinations, including Paris, Hawaii, Seattle, Venice, and New Orleans. During my time in New York, I also made it a habit of taking the train on weekends up to various towns and cities, including New Haven, CT and Peekskill, NY. In my travels, I have learned so much about life, and the people we share it with. This work, Train of Thought, is not only a reflection on the sounds and sights of a particular mode of transportation, the train, but also a reflection on the joys of traveling.
David Gilbert, Conductor; Manhattan School of Music Philharmonia; Recorded by the Charles Myers Recording Studio at the Manhattan School of Music: www.msmnyc.edu
Partially inspired by the opening “Train Scene” in my opera on The Idiot, the ostinato in the strings and the perpetual rhythms in the percussion at the beginning of the piece create the sound of a moving train, while the recurring augmented chord in the brass creates the sound of the train’s whistle. The development, with its solo passages in the violin, is a reflection on what I learned in the process of traveling from place to place. The return of the opening brings back the sounds of the train, and the final coda expresses the joys, anticipation, and exhilaration of travel.
Version: 2009
Year composed: 2009
Duration: 07:00:80
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Standard Orchestra
Instrumentation: 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 4 Horn in F, 2 Trumpet, 2 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 3 Percussion (General), 1 Piano, 1 Strings (General)