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C88DF03F-D544-45E2-B1A9-F57E70213C17
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Update Title: C88DF03F-D544-45E2-B1A9-F57E70213C17
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An overture composed for the tenth anniversary of The Women's Philharmonic, JoAnn Falletta, Music Director.
Instrumentation
2.2.2.2: 4.2.3.1: Perc(3): Str
Commission
Women+s Philharmonic Orchestra 1990
Dedication
Program Notes
Open the Door, an orchestral overture, was composed as a gift to the (San Francisco) Women+s Philharmonic on the occasion of its tenth season: 1981-91. In the spirit of this orchestra which +opens the doors+ of performance opportunities to many women composers, this overture is intended to celebrate the spirit of openness and freshness generated when doors are opened to new opportunities. This is a rhythmic +wake-up+ piece suited to the start of a concert. --Gwyneth Walker
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"Then, the young American composer Gwyneth Walker, on hand for the performance of her Open the Door overture, charmed the audience with a witty account of her composing ambience among the cows on the Vermont farm where she lives. Whatever her inspiration, her overture proved to be a bracing, airy delight of varied rhythms, its logical structure and harmonic accessibility refreshingly unpretentious.<BR> It was received with such enthusiasm that Wolfe...asked the audience's permission to repeat the piece. It sounded just as fresh the second time around -- every percussive detail cleanly marked, dynamic contrasts sensitively observed, the orchestral depth limpid...tangy and refreshing." <BR>--Joshua Kosman, San Francisco Chronicle<BR><BR> "Gwyneth Walker composes fresh works which appeal to our audiences, yet also have a quality artistic content ... one listener told me: 'if I could have only one work out of the whole program, Open the Door is the one I would want.' " <BR>--Lois Musmann, Guest Conductor Feast of Lights Orchestra, Redlands, CA. <BR><BR> "Wolfe...introduced Gwyneth Walker, whose Open the Door overture was to begin the program. she explained the title of the piece as (a) starting a concert; (b) opening the mind and ears to new ideas; and (3) making opportunities for performances available to composers, especially women composers. She also noted that of the three composers on the program, she was 'the only one who showed up.'<BR><BR> Ms. Walker was not only a charming speaker, but her overture was a delightful piece; melodic music riding over an irresistible rhythmic understructure. There was an ingenuous use of percussion, persistent and driving toward a stunning climax, reminding this listener of Bolero, but this had more variety."<BR> --Herman Baar, The Longboat Observer<BR><BR> Gwyneth Walker, the composer of the Open the Door overture, drew friendly laughter from the audience when she appeared onstage and characterized herself as 'the only one of the composers on the program tonight who is still living.' <BR><BR> Walker...is a prolific composer of orchestral and chamber music, which she writes 'for fun' while tending 218 cows on her Vermont farm. <BR><BR> The overture was an exuberant curtain raiser. It began with a cello solo that melted into brief musical conversations with the leading players of each section of the orchestra and led into a full harmonious orchestral climax. Although Walker says her model is British composer Benjamin Britten, the work also had suggestions of Aaron Copeland and Leonard Bernstein to this listener..."<BR>--Virginia Page
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