Reflections

1982, revised 1991

10 minutes

Performances:

Premiere: Arizona State University Symphony
Tempe, AZ, 1983
Eugene Lombardi, Conductor

Phoenix Symphony
April 30, 1986
Franco Collura, Conductor

Sound sample: Listen (1.4MB)

Notes: Incorporating melodies from three Anglo-American folksongs, Reflections begins with a darkly brooding setting of one folk melody, and then moves to a faster middle section that juxtaposes the first melody with another. The final section uses the third melody. The general tone of the work is somber because the texts for two of the folksongs were tragic ballads. The modal characters of the melodies are a factor in the work’s musical language.