Steven Stucky died on February 14, 2016— a cold winter's day in Ithaca, NY, but also a day of "warmth" and love – Valentine's Day. His spirit, through his incredible music shall radiate with his students and audiences ever after.
Both Stucky and Cynthia Johnston Turner are very dear professors and friends in my life. When Cynthia asked if I would write a wind ensemble piece in memory of Steven Stucky, I was honored and thrilled.
Stucky's sudden death was a shock to the musical world. The composing process of Winter Blossom is a journey of me going through stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. These stages are not necessarily linear. An outcry of enormous sorrow, the first movement is a profound lament. Two melodic motives are quoted from Stucky's music—the opening melody from his "Symphony," and the minor second descending motive from his Elegy of August 4, 1964. The movement arrives at its climax with heavy and dark harmonies. The second movement is a storm of juxtaposing multiple musical ideas and contrasting emotions vertically while each idea evolves and develops horizontally. The last movement, beginning with chimes, is an adagio that unfolds patiently. The turbulent and anguished motives from the second movement eventually evolve to tranquility and the serene. May Steven Stucky forever rest in peace and love.
Program notes by the composer.
LEAD COMMISSIONER
Cynthia Johnston Turner and the Hodgson Wind Ensemble - University of Georgia
CONSORTIUM MEMBERS
Alex Sharpiro - Activist Music
Glenn Price - California Institute of Technology
Leo Sakomoto - California State University - Bakersfield
Timothy Franklin - Carolina Wind Symphony
James Ripley - Carthage College
Richard McEnaney - Clark County Schools, Las Vegas, Nevada
James Spinazzola - Cornell University
Jay Gilbert - Doane College
Mark Scatterday - Eastman School of Music
Timothy Yontz - Florida Gulf Coast University
Andrew Pease - Hartwick College
Andrew Mast - Lawrence University
Patrick Carney - Limestone College
Russell Kramer - Mason City, Iowa High School
Travis Nasitir - Mission Peak Wind Symphony
Odd Terje Lysebo - Naset Wind Orchestra
Jared Chase - Nazareth College
Alberto Roque - Orquesta de Sopros da Escola Superior de Musica de Lisboa
Stephen Peterson - University of Illinois
Michael Haithcock, Courtney Snyder - University of Michigan
Michael Votta - University of Maryland - College Park
Emily Threinen - University of Minnesota
Reed Chamberlin - University of Nevada-Reno
John Stewart - University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
Troy Bennefield - Washington State University
INAUGURAL PERFORMANCE
Performed by Hodgson Wind Ensemble at the University of Georgia conducted by Cynthia Johnston Turner on March 2, 2018.
LISTEN
RESOURCES
Composer's website: https://www.xiwangcomposer.com
Publisher: https://murphymusicpress.com