Dust and Roses (version for flute, harp and viola) (2002) · 10.5 min
for flute, harp and viola
flute, harp, viola
Program Note
Dust and Roses for flute, harp and viola was written for the 2ème Festival de Musique de Sancerre at the invitation of Jacques Dubois, violinist, conductor, and director of the Festival of Music in Sancerre, France, where it was first performed by Stèphane Limonaire (flute), Danielle Riegel (harp), and Anthony De Ritis (viola), at the L’Église Notre-Dame de Sancerre on August 11, 2002.
It is intended to be a companion piece to Debussy’s Sonata for flute, harp and viola, which was also on the program at the premiere of this work.
Dust and Roses for flute, harp and viola consists of seven short movements; each based on a poem of Paul Anthony De Ritis, the composer’s father (from a larger collection of poems with the same title). The poems and their titles are listed below:
I. There is a shimmering dawn
II. Come sweet yellow bird
III. Down sorrow cloaked streets
IV. A lament of glass violins
V. Like a swan against moonbeams
VI. Walk with me
XII. Won’t you play?
Dust and Roses was originally a setting of fourteen poems from Paul A. De Ritis’s larger collection of poetry, for guitar, viola and narrator; first performed by Apostolos Paraskevas (guitar), Anthony De Ritis (viola), and Del Lewis (narrator), at the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, New York, on June 11, 2002.
Press
“Concert en plein air du “Feeling Brass Quintet.” (2002, August 8). La Voix de Sancerrois.
“Overture du festival de musique de Sancerre.” (2002, July 25). Le Régionale de Cosne.
“Festival de musique: concert inaugural, dimanche.” (2002, July 25). Sancerre.
Recordings
Dust and Roses for flute, harp and viola was recorded by Jessi Rosinski, flute; Mark Berger, viola; and Ina Zdorovetchi, harp; at Distler Performance Hall at Tufts University’s Granoff Music Center, June 2, 2013.