The world premiere performance of Symphony in Blue and Gold by Erika Svanoe, performed by the UWEC Wind Symphony on April 30, 2023 in Gantner Concert Hall, Dr. John R. Stewart, conductor.
Symphony in Blue & Gold was commissioned to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Bands at my alma
mater, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. As a starting point, I researched and studied two
significant pieces in wind band literature that were composed around the time the band was first formed
on campus. These were La création du monde (1923) by Darius Milhuad and Rhapsody in Blue (1924) by
George Gershwin, specifically the original dance band version orchestrated by Ferde Grofé. Both pieces
use a combination of classical and jazz influences, and this felt very reflective of my own experience as a
music student at UWEC.
Overall, the piece uses a modified four-movement symphony plan. The first movement “Blues and
Fugues” alternates a standard 12-bar blues with two four-voice fugues. The opening tenor saxophone solo
presents the “UWEC” melodic material that appears throughout all four movements. The second
movement “in Gold” focuses on timbres played by metallic instruments and introduces the other main
melodic material, which musically spells out “BLUGLD.” The third movement is a waltz and the final
movement, “Finale,” expands and combines material from the previous three movements.
I am so honored to have the opportunity to write Symphony in Blue & Gold for a place where I had so
much musical and personal growth. I truly took this opportunity to heart, and tried to grow my own
compositional voice and craft while writing this piece as a tribute to a place that was so important in my
educational journey. - notes from the composer
23 сен 2024
