Hold Fast Your Dreams

Description

Oboe, Piano — HOLD FAST YOUR DREAMS is gratefully dedicated to Linda Strommen and the Indiana University Wind Ensemble, conducted by Stephen Pratt. It was premiered on February 16, 2010 at Indiana University, with a subsequent performance at the Midwestern CBDNA in Illinois. Prior to composing this concerto, I had the wonderful experience of having previously written works premiered by these extraordinary artists. Linda, my dear friend and colleague at Juilliard, premiered and recorded my first oboe concerto (with string orchestra), Down a River of Time. Her exceptional beauty of sound, artistry, and heartfelt interpretation of that work inspired me to write this second oboe concerto for her, this time with wind ensemble accompaniment.In 2004, I also had the great pleasure of hearing the Indiana University wind ensemble premiere my trombone concerto Visions of Light with trombone soloist Joseph Alessi under the direction of Ray Cramer. The IU ensemble’s spectacular, riveting performance inspired me to write this second work for them, exploring the rich colors and lyricism they produce so beautifully.HOLD FAST YOUR DREAMS has an additional dedication to a very special person, Ellen Strommen, Linda’s amazing mother. As I began coming up with musical ideas for this work, Linda asked if I might consider writing the work as a tribute to her mother — an idea which I loved! I had the pleasure of getting to know this great lady with her infectious spirit, her elegance, her lively sense of humor, and her wonderful humanity. This resulted in wanting to write a work which encapsulated her personality and life story. As in any life, there were joyous times and also tragic times, such as the accident which took the life of her husband all too soon. But through it all, with Ms. Strommen, resilience and hope has continued to shine, and her indomitable, glowing spirit has endured. The concerto is a loving portrait of her life! The title of the work is the title of one of my favorite poems by Louise Driscoll, which I had previously set to music for chorus. Musical themes from this choral work appear in the final movement of the concerto.Movement I begins as a loving, gentle waltz, describing the tender spirit that is Ms. Strommen. But there is also a playful feistiness and a nice sense of humor which permeates much of the movement. Movement II is about those moments in life, when tragedy ensues and one’s world is filled with shock, disbelief, and an almost agonized questioning. The music is fast and in a minor key, but at the very end hope and resilience win; the movement ends with a glimpse of bright sunlight as the major sonorities return. Movement III is the summation of a life lived with peace and love, a keen sense of spirituality, and an embracing spirit. Throughout the work, the oboe is the lyricist, the music singing a personal, sometimes introspective, sometimes joyous song. The wind ensemble is a colorful canvas interacting with the soloist, sometimes providing buoyant support, sometimes acting like a Greek chorus, commenting on melodies and themes, with their own melodies and themes, and ultimately joining together in this celebration of life — a life well-lived.Eric EwazenFebruary 2013Wind ensemble score and parts are available on rental.Score also available for sale (415-41142 study score, 415-41142L 11x17 score) Following the acclaim and popularity of the first concerto that Eric Ewazen wrote for oboist Linda Strommen, in 2010 Ewazen composed a second concerto for her, this time with wind ensemble accompaniment. The programmatic title Hold Fast Your Dreams is an appreciation for Linda Strommen’s mother whose exemplary resolve to hold fast her dreams inspired Ewazen to generate the concerto’s three-movement journey. For advanced performers. Dur.: 19'