Serenade for Small Orchestra
Karen Amrhein
About this work:
The Serenade for small orchestra was written in the summer of 1994 while I was house-sitting for a friend. The environment - a quiet house in a big, wooded yard in suburban Maryland - was conducive to writing, and the piece progressed swiftly, even though this was (and is) my first orchestral piece. Being alone in an empty house inclined me somewhat to melancholy, which put me in the mood for one of my favorite films, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". This lovely film, with its evocative score by Bernard Herrmann, proved a great inspiration, and I think my Serenade expresses a haunted wistfulness that is reminiscent of the film. I've come much more into my own voice as a composer since 1994, but I'm still quite proud, and fond, of this little serenade.
The Serenade is a slow, lyrical, somewhat melancholy work for 1-1-1-1-1-Harp-Timpani-Strings. Score and parts are available at www.happylemonmusicpublishing.com
Year composed: 1994
Duration: 00:05:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Chamber Orchestra
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 1 Horn in F, 1 Timpani, 1 Strings (General), 1 Harp