| Stroke | |
|---|---|
| byJoan Tower | |
| Commissioned by | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra |
| Dedication | George Tower |
| Duration | 17 minutes |
| Movements | 1 |
| Premiere | |
| Date | May 13, 2011 |
| Location | Heinz Hall,Pittsburgh,Pennsylvania, U.S.. |
| Conductor | Manfred Honeck |
| Performers | Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra |
Stroke is anorchestral composition by the American composerJoan Tower. The work was commissioned by thePittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and is dedicated to the composer's brother, who suffered from a debilitatingstroke in 2008. It was first performed inPittsburgh on May 13, 2011, by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra under the conductorManfred Honeck.[1][2][3]
Stroke has a duration of roughly 17 minutes and is composed in one continuousmovement. Tower dedicated the piece to her younger brother George, who suffered a stroke in 2008 at the age of 60 that left the left side of his body paralyzed. She wrote in the score program notes:
The horrific journey of the aftermath of a serious stroke consists of many different emotional stages: crying, anger, anxiety and depression. The huge adjustment of the mind and the DNA of the body requires a strong resilience of emotion and a large amount of mental discipline to adapt to a body that can no longer do the things it did before. The positive side of this experience (and alternate meaning of the word "stroke") is one of occasional but welcomed rests of peace and deep love that become more pronounced as the stroke victim adjusts to his new reality.I tried to depict these extreme emotions through the musical journey of my 17-minute piece. Inside a dramatic and often loud steady beat (of the heart) surrounded by waves of fast notes (which veer between "anxious" and "joyful"), there are five slower (and "softer") solos for horn, bassoon, violin, clarinet and trumpet where more "peaceful" surroundings come forward.[1]
Tower concluded, "Stroke is a piece concerned with many emotions, one that hopefully offers a quiet 'hope' at the end. With a stroke, it is hard to tell which way it will go."[1]
The work is scored for an orchestra comprising threeflutes (doublingpiccolo), twooboes, threeclarinets, twobassoons, fourhorns, threetrumpets, threetrombones (doublingbass trombone),tuba,timpani, three percussionists,piano, andstrings.[1]
Reviewing a recording ofStroke, the music critic Leslie Wright called it "a very well constructed piece that grips one throughout its nearly 20-minute length." He added, "I am quite impressed with this work and think it deserves a place on any contemporary programme, especially if it were performed as well as it is here."[4]
TheNashville Symphony launched aKickstarter campaign on August 23, 2013, to raise $15,500 for a recording ofStroke, in addition to Tower'sChamber Dance and herViolin Concerto, to commemorate the composer's 75th birthday. The campaign closed on September 22, 2013, having successfully raised $15,585.[5] The recording was released throughNaxos Records in May 2015 and was subsequently nominated for the 2016Grammy Award forBest Classical Contemporary Composition.[6][7]
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