Opus 750

Pittsburgh Rhapsody (2008)

for Brass Band

  • Tributaries
  • Memorial Song
  • Bridges to the Sky

Duration: 11 min.

Dedication: in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with support from the Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections Committee

Commission: Commissioned by the River City Brass Band, Denis Colwell, music director

Publisher: Musik Fabrik

Performance materials available from the publisher.

Pittsburgh Rhapsody (2008) for brass band was commissioned by the River City Brass Band, Denis Colwell, music director, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with support from the Pittsburgh 250 Community Connections Committee.

The first movement, Tributaries, is inspired by Pittsburgh as a city of three rivers and particularly the confluence of two rivers to form one. Throughout the movement there are a number of places where two ideas converge to become one. Opening with a fanfare-like gesture, the music then becomes more flowing before building up again to a climax.

The second movement, Memorial Song, is a lyrical duet for flugelhorn and euphonium. The movement was not conceived as a specific memorial, but its lyrical and elegiac mood represents the many memorials that we all celebrate, both personal and corporate.

The third movement, Bridges to the Sky, celebrates Pittsburgh as a city of bridges. The music takes inspiration from the sense of exhilaration that one can get driving amidst the post-industrial landscape of roads, flyovers, bridges, and hills.