Commissioned by the Mira Mesa Symphony Orchestra, Of Fire and Water is a work that celebrates the natural beauty of Yellowstone National Park, an area of the U.S. that has held a special place in my heart since I first visited as a child. The work is a new version of a chamber piece of the same title, originally written for the National Parks Compositions Project.
Drawing its title from the words of the environmentalist John Muir—who once described Yellowstone as “a strange region of fire and water”—this piece presents a series of vignettes that collectively comprise a brief history of the park.
“Gold” expresses the longing felt by settlers who arrived during the mid-1800s Gold Rush, marking the beginning of a new era of aspiration. For these miners who endured extremely harsh conditions, gold represented hope for a better life. Musically, the shimmering sextuplet motif that moves through various chords evokes the glint of gold in a flowing river.
“Fire” celebrates the beautiful yet terrifying geothermal features of Yellowstone: geysers, thermal pools, and hot springs. This movement also contemplates the potential eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano whose explosion would cause global famine, extinction, and long-term planetary cooling.
Drawing on the park’s long history of natural beauty, “Spirit” offers a conclusive, lyrical, folk-music-inspired tune. Its melody evokes the timeless spirit of Yellowstone—the soul shared by its animals, natural wonders, and all the people who have explored the region since the Pleistocene.
I owe much to naturalists like the painter Thomas Moran who, as a member of the Hayden Geological Survey expedition, created some of the most breathtaking depictions of the park—works that continue to inspire people today. His art, alongside the writings of John Muir, drew attention to the need for national parks to preserve such extraordinary landscapes for future generations.
Commissioned by the Mira Mesa Symphony Orchestra, Of Fire and Water is a work that celebrates the natural beauty of Yellowstone National Park, an area of the U.S. that has held a special place in my heart since I first visited as a child. The work is a new version of a chamber piece of the same title, originally written for the National Parks Compositions Project.
Drawing its title from the words of the environmentalist John Muir—who once described Yellowstone as “a strange region of fire and water”—this piece presents a series of vignettes that collectively comprise a brief history of the park.
“Gold” expresses the longing felt by settlers who arrived during the mid-1800s Gold Rush, marking the beginning of a new era of aspiration. For these miners who endured extremely harsh conditions, gold represented hope for a better life. Musically, the shimmering sextuplet motif that moves through various chords evokes the glint of gold in a flowing river.
“Fire” celebrates the beautiful yet terrifying geothermal features of Yellowstone: geysers, thermal pools, and hot springs. This movement also contemplates the potential eruption of the Yellowstone Caldera, a supervolcano whose explosion would cause global famine, extinction, and long-term planetary cooling.
Drawing on the park’s long history of natural beauty, “Spirit” offers a conclusive, lyrical, folk-music-inspired tune. Its melody evokes the timeless spirit of Yellowstone—the soul shared by its animals, natural wonders, and all the people who have explored the region since the Pleistocene.
I owe much to naturalists like the painter Thomas Moran who, as a member of the Hayden Geological Survey expedition, created some of the most breathtaking depictions of the park—works that continue to inspire people today. His art, alongside the writings of John Muir, drew attention to the need for national parks to preserve such extraordinary landscapes for future generations.
