Memorial Day marks the unofficial beginning of summer, when sunny days abound and minds turn to weekend escapes. With warmer weather ahead, we'll spark those thoughts all this week, with Morning Glory pieces about lakes.
Monday
Leo Sowerby: From the Northland
Subtitled "Impressions of Lake Superior Country," Sowerby's depiction of a trip to the Canadian woods near the Great Lakes includes sights and sounds familiar to anyone who's been Up North: still forests, bubbling rivers, shimmering water...the quiet tranquility of nature.
Tuesday
Peter Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake Ballet Suite
Much of the dramatic action of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake takes place at a lake, where the enchanted ladies live as swans during the day.
Wednesday
Robert Farnon: Lake of the Woods Sowerby wasn't the only composer inspired by the lakes on the Canada-United States border; as a child, Canadian composer Robert Farnon visited the dark, deep waters of Lake of the Woods.
Thursday
Antonin Dvorak: The Water Goblin
Beneath the tranquil waters of one unnamed Czech lake lives an evil goblin (perhaps he resembles a snapping turtle?) who makes the giant mosquitoes of Minnesota lakes seem pleasant.
Friday
Alan Hovhaness: Symphony No. 63 "Loon Lake"
A lonely solo English horn, evoking the sound of Minnesota's state bird, floats over a still lake of strings in this piece written for the New Hampshire Music Festival and the Loon Preservation Society.
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