• Ellen Reid
  • West Coast Sky Eternal (2023)

  • Chester Music Ltd (World)

Commissioned by Music Director Gustavo Dudamel for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra with generous support from the Esa-Pekka Salonen Commissions fund

  • String orchestra
  • 15 min

Programme Note

West Coast Sky Eternal is a study in perspective. I wrote it during a time of personal upheaval, both positive and negative, and the piece oscillates between the rhythm of life and a global sense of beauty and balance. Starting from a wide-angle panorama, the West Coast Sky of the title is the expanse of a landscape viewed from miles above, flecked with distant clouds. The choppy, workaday business of living pulls our attention earthward. Each human decision is a shard that becomes a monolith, spiraling maniacally inwards until the raw joy of life and death finally have us looking upward, back to the high place, where the frenetic movements of humanity resolve into calm order once again.

Scores

Features

  • Independent Repertoire: American Cityscapes and Landscapes
    • Independent Repertoire: American Cityscapes and Landscapes
    • Numerous composers have drawn inspiration both from the United States’ natural beauty and the vibrant character of its cities. From iconic neighborhoods to breathtaking views, rural agrarian life to industrial skylines, the following works evoke this country’s distinctive landscapes through sound.

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