Urban Bird
Victoria Bond
About this work:
Premiere: April, 1993 San Francisco, California
The Women's Philharmonic,Bond, cond, Cynthia Sikes, soloist.
Commentary: Commissioned by The Women's Philharmonic, this concerto is based on Au Privave by Charlie Parker and
Blue Trane by John Coltrane.. Structured as a dramatic tone poem, Urban Bird portrays a street musician playing on a subway platform whose music is continually drown out by the passing trains. "It is very late at night. Imagine a deserted subway platform in New York City. Imagine a street musician playing solos in the dark. Imagine he has heard plenty of
Charlie Parker and more than a little John Coltrane. Imagine he is playing his heart out for no one but himself. Imagine trains roaring through the station frequently drowning him out. Imagine that he not only continues playing but that he integrates the
sounds of the trains into his solos. His music transforms the dingy cavern into a magic place. Commuters rush into the train which tears away into the dark tunnel. When quiet returns, the musicians's notes forlornly drift down around him."
--Ann Arbor Symph.
Review: "As close as an instrumental piece can get to an actual opera... Incredibly effective"
--San Francisco Bay Times
Year composed: 1993
Duration: 00:20:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Orchestra with Soloist(s)
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 2 Flute, 2 Oboe, 1 English Horn, 2 Clarinet, 1 Bass Clarinet, ,1 Alto Saxophone soloist(s), 4 Horn in F, 4 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 2 Percussion (General), 22 Strings (General), 10 Violin, 5 Viola, 4 Cello, 3 Double bass
Instrumentation notes: Theodore Presser Company
Attention Judith Ilika
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