HAMPTON ROADS, VA [November 30, 2018] – The Virginia Symphony Orchestra today announced the release of a new digital recording featuring music by Grammy Award-winning American composer Michael Daugherty. Entitled Night Owl, the world-premiere recording is now available for purchase or download (see details below).
Commissioned by Norfolk philanthropists Susan and David Goode, the orchestral music was inspired by the nocturnal steam locomotive photography of O. Winston Link (known as O.W.L.), who chronicled the last days of steam locomotive powered trains along the Norfolk and Western line in the United States from 1955 to 1960. Music Director JoAnn Falletta and the VSO presented the live world premiere of Night Owl last April at Ferguson Center for the Arts in Newport News, which was recorded by the Orchestra and Falletta the following night at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk.
About “Shutterspeed,” the first of three movements, composer Daugherty reflects on the technical world of Link’s photography and his own passion for the medium. “Link developed a unique and complex system of timed flash photography. This allowed him to trigger hundreds of lightbulbs simultaneously, capturing the drama of intricate machinery and steam plumes of the locomotive at just the right moment,” Daugherty said. “Keeping shutter speed, aperture and focus in mind, I have generated dramatic music in the first movement with the same precision, as if taking photographs with my Leica camera.”
The second movement is a reminder to the listener of an era long gone. Entitled “Solitude, Virginia,” the movement focuses on Link’s photographs of the people who lived in the small Appalachian railroad towns, including the town of Solitude, Virginia. “The night music begins softly with intimate horn, oboe and clarinet solos, accompanied by church bells and bluesy strings. Suddenly out of nowhere, boisterous trombones and timpani interrupt the musical proceedings, like a massive steam locomotive rolling into town down Main Street,” Daughertyy said. “After the train slowly disappears out of sight, the opening night music returns, featuring mellow solos from the tuba, trumpet and bass clarinet as the town goes back to sleep.”
In the final movement, “Thunder on Blue Ridge,” Daugherty translates the sights and sounds of the trains into a stomping barn yard romp. “A pulsating snare drum groove, like the clicking sounds of a steam locomotive thundering down the mountainous railroad tracks, is punctuated by a train bell, harmonica and strings playing ‘behind the bridge’. A catchy Appalachian-like tune, first played by the woodwinds, is developed and transformed through an array of kaleidoscopic orchestrations and polymetric counterpoints,” Daugherty said. “After a series of virtuosic instrumental interludes, my musical train rumbles to its final destination.”
Night Owl is available for purchase at concerts and through the Orchestra’s website (virginiasymphony.org) and at CDBaby.com. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.
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As the region’s most celebrated musical, educational and entrepreneurial arts organization, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra continues to challenge expectations and push the boundaries of what an American orchestra can be – even as it approaches its 100th anniversary in 2020.
At the heart of the VSO’s narrative is innovation. In 1991 the VSO made a very bold move in appointing the gifted young American conductor JoAnn Falletta as its music director. Since then, the orchestra has received national attention for its unique mission serving a home area of 1.7 million across the diverse communities of southeastern Virginia. Through appearances at the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall and commitment to adventurous programming, the VSO and its musicians have been highlighted in the media including The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Public Radio and BBC Worldwide News.
As the largest arts performing organization in southeastern Virginia, the VSO and VSO Chorus present more than 150 concerts and events to educate, enlighten and entertain more than 100,000 residents and visitors each year. Recent innovations include health and wellness programs, including interactive therapeutic experiences for people living with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 30, 2018
Contact: Monica Meyer, Vice President of Marketing, Sales and Public Relations
Phone: 757.213.1431 | email: mmeyer@virginiasymphony.org
Twitter: @VASymphony
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