CDLXIII. HIGDON, Jennifer (1962- )
City Scape (2002)
1. SkyLine (7:06)
2. river sings a song to trees (17:51)
3. Peachtree Street (6:00)
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Robert Spano, cond.
[See Post LXXVII for her Pulitzer-Prize winning Violin Concerto, and the facts of her amazing musical education.]
Born in Brooklyn, she spent the first ten years of her life in Atlanta. She explains what the music means for her:
"City Scape is a musical portrait of Atlanta: its landscape of people, images, and energy.
The first movement, 'Skyline,' is the profile of Downtown, Midtown, and the Lenox area. Over the past four decades I've watched the skyline change and grow, rising up distinctly into its own identifiable shape, projecting an image of boldness, strength, and growth. Every city's skyline is a fingerprint that the rest of the world recognizes at a distance; Atlanta has developed a powerful, distinctively metropolitan image, recognizable around the world.
The first movement, 'Skyline,' is the profile of Downtown, Midtown, and the Lenox area. Over the past four decades I've watched the skyline change and grow, rising up distinctly into its own identifiable shape, projecting an image of boldness, strength, and growth. Every city's skyline is a fingerprint that the rest of the world recognizes at a distance; Atlanta has developed a powerful, distinctively metropolitan image, recognizable around the world.
'river sings a song to trees' commemorates the Nature that is such a presence in this city. Trees, parks, and streams add a lush carpet to the landscape, infusing the atmosphere with intense and gorgeous greens that connect neighborhoods and businesses. The presence of Peachtree Creek (I used to play in one of the tributaries that ran through my front yard in the Lenox area) reflects moving life and serves as a reminder of the city's having risen from the Earth itself. The creek also symbolizes constant change, under calm waters and over powerful currents, doing so with exquisite beauty.
The final movement is 'Peachtree Street,' in honor of this primary artrey that runs through the city. With its narrow lanes and winding character, this street is so full of life and energy, forever changing and growing, moving slowly and moving fast, that it serves as a reflection of us. Every turn brings something new and different, and carries us to places and people that have meaning in our lives."
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