Program note: Gabriella Smith, Breathing Forests

Gabriella Smith (Photograph courtesy of the artist)

 

Gabriella Smith
Breathing Forests
Cleveland Orchestra, Apr. 4 & 6, 2024
Program note

“For a while I felt like, how do I write music about the climate crisis when I want to write music that’s uplifting? And I realized, that’s the kind of music we need. It needs to feel real and profound. We need to feel our grief, and we need to feel the loss. But we also need to feel the joy in getting to work.”—Gabriella Smith

I've greatly appreciated recent opportunities to do some out-of-town program notes writing, none more so than the brief essay I provided for tonight's Cleveland Orchestra premiere of Breathing Forests by Gabriella Smith. I enjoyed speaking with Gabriella, a composer whose works I've admired greatly and consistently, and envy audience members who'll hear the two performances John Adams will conduct tonight and Saturday.

The brief concert overview essay is also mine. My thanks to former Cleveland Orchestra managing editor of content Amanda Angel, a longtime friend and colleague, for the initial engagement, and to current Cleveland Orchestra publications manager Kevin McBrien, to whom Amanda passed the baton when she decamped to Los Angeles for her new role as editorial director at the LA Phil.

Comments

[Lisa Hirsch]

"Breathing Forests" is an amazing piece! I reviewed it last year when SFS performed it. I hope I get to hear it again.