Appalachian Autumn

2024 . . . chamber orchestra (9:40) TC-142

In 2005 through 2008, I lived in North Carolina only an hour away from the Blue Ridge Parkway. October Saturdays always involved a scenic drive up to and on the Parkway to absorb the glorious fall colors and trickling of secret waterfalls.

Another in my “Animated Landscapes” Sketchbook for small orchestra, by its title this sound sketch pays homage to Copland’s 1944 masterpiece, Appalachian Spring. My currently developed harmonic sensibilities resemble Copland’s open, bold sonorities. In my composition studies in the 1970s, I was fascinated by Appalachian Spring the ballet as originally scored for only 12 orchestral instruments. This original scoring was a masterpiece of orchestral painting blended with the clear contrapuntal lines of chamber music, highlighting each instrument’s colorful voice.