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Summer
Sunrise
on the
Mississippi
by
Robert Fruehwald
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I teach musical composition and music theory at Southeast Missouri State
University. Every day, when walking home, I would see a glint of blue
through the trees on the horizon. For many months, I thought I was seeing
the sky. Then, one day, I saw a stern-wheel steamboat squarely in the middle
of that patch of blue–what I had been seeing was the Mississippi River.
Every day after that, I would watch the river and observe its moods. It's been
my daily companion ever since.
Recently, our music department at Southeast Missouri State moved from the
main university campus to a new one on the banks of the Mississippi. Now I
observe the river up close. I see different things every day.
I decided to write a piece about the river, a piece that expresses its mood on
a warm day, early in the morning, just as my own day would begin. I looked
to Mark Twain for some lyrics and found a suitable passage in his Life on the
Mississippi. I thought Twain's words would make a great basis for a song,
and I think that someday they will; however, instead of a vocal work they
inspired me to write this instrumental solo.
When I recorded the river sounds for the CD accompaniment, I put the
microphone right down on the Mississippi River (in downtown Cape
Girardeau, Missouri). I also recorded some other nearby sounds: birds,
cicadas, a passing train, etc.–Robert Fruehwald
Notes for the player: It is best to start playing shortly after the accompaniment CD begins to sound. While the piece should be played freely,
timings are given in the score. These timings indicate an ideal coordination
between the soloist and the CD. They are based on Michael Dean’s
interpretation. It is a nice touch to read the poem before the CD is started.
However, this is not mandatory.
The sheet music and audio accompaniment for Summer Sunrise on the
Mississippi are available for free download at http://www6.semo.edu/
fruehwald/downloads.html
for Michael Dean
Summer Sunrise on the Mississippi
There is an eloquence of silence...
There is a haunting sense of loneliness...
The tranquility is profound, infinitely satisfying.
Clarinet in Bb
with CD
Robert Fruehwald
2008
That is all beautiful, soft and rich and beautiful,
A pink flush, a powder of gold, a purple haze.
rk Twain, Life on the Mississippi
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