Western Vista for solo guitar (2021)
Western Vista (2021) is a work for solo guitar that was commissioned by Russell Cleveland and composed for Grammy award winner David Russell in the fall of 2021. It was premiered by David Russell in his concert at the University of Texas at Dallas on March 3, 2022.
The concept behind the piece, provided by Mr. Cleveland, is a celebration of the beauty and folk song heritage of the American West. Mr. Cleveland suggested Aaron Copland’s Rodeo and a collection of traditional cowboy songs from the Wild West period as possible inspirations, and I indeed found much to be inspired by in these sources. I selected two folk songs to include in the final score: Oh, Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie, a cowboy tune from the 1800’s, and a traditional Navajo lullaby The Rainbow Cradle. The rest of the material is original and was inspired by the spaciousness of the Western landscapes and the excitement of the rodeo.
Movement 1, Nightfall, incorporates both of the traditional folk melodies as well as original material, and invokes nightfall on the prairie and over the looming mountains in the distance. Movement 2, The Sunfisher, takes its name from a cowboy term for an especially untamable horse, a bronco that bucks so wildly that it catches sunshine on its belly while kicking. Watching videos of modern cowboys in competitions, attempting to stay on such horses for even a few seconds, provided me with a vivid mental image of the vigor and energy of the broncos. This movement uses all original material, inspired by the high-energy fiddle and banjo music of the Old West.
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