Description
Recording sample from “Vibrant Colors: Brass Music of Douglas Hedwig” (MSR1811)
trio for mezzo soprano, trumpet and piano
Composed in honor of the 50th Anniversary of the historic Apollo lunar landing in 1969, “New Worlds” is a musical exploration of the wonders of space and interstellar discovery. Lunar Neighbors begins with a brief flourish meant to evoke the blast-off of a rocket, with the following lyrical, “bel canto” section suggestive of floating and weightlessness. The chant-like opening of In Their Turns to Rise conveys a certain solemn majesty and awe, while the trumpet cadenza further explores the previous musical material. The light-hearted final movement, Our Moon, reflects the humor and wit of the poetry.
Trumpet parts are provided in both B-flat and C.
– Douglas Hedwig
Commissioned by Stanley Curtis.
Douglas Hedwig:
The music of Douglas Hedwig (born 1951) has been performed throughout the U.S., Italy, Germany, England, Scotland, Belgium, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia. Praised for the “coherent, yet adventurous character of his compositions” [Opus Klassiek, Netherlands), his music embraces “a wide range of musical styles…and showcases the eloquent sincerity of a contemporary American voice” [International Center for American Music].
Winner of both the Gaetano Amadeo Prize (Italy) and The American Prize in composition, Hedwig is recipient of awards and honors from the Siena Art Institute (Italy), Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts, and the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Prior to turning his full creative attention to composition in 2012, he was a trumpet player with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra for 27 years.
Dr. Hedwig is Professor Emeritus at the Conservatory of Music at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York, and was formerly on the faculty of The Juilliard School (NYC).
https://www.douglashedwig.com/
