Ridgeline

Commissioned by the National Repertory Orchestra in celebration of its 30-year residency in Breckenridge, CO.

Program Note:

Ridgeline was composed in the spring of 2023 for premiere by Michael Stern and the National Repertory Orchestra at the opening concert of their 30th season at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, Colorado. The music is inspired by the ridgeline of mountain peaks visible from Breckenridge, particularly Peaks 6-10, which make up the town’s ski area. The quiet sunrise opening of the piece imagines rays of sun sneaking through clouds and distant creaks of ice or perhaps mining machinery starting up. Introductory calls are heard from solo winds and brass. The music gradually picks up steam and is inspired by various activities in the mountains during the history of Breckenridge, including mining during the Gold Rush (listen for the panning/sifting), development of a vibrant town (a bit of fiddlin’), and recently, skiing (“white gold”) and climbers scrambling along the ridges. More specifically, some of the musical ingredients of the piece include short motifs from a couple Gold Rush songs (which I may or may not reveal!) and one from Snake Alley, a work I composed for the NRO back in 1989, prior to the move to Breckenridge. The ridgeline of Peaks 6-10 is reflected both literally – in rhythms and harmonies derived from the peaks’ distances and elevations – and more generally in many melodic contours reflective of the mountain range. The work dances to a close with vivid colors of a brilliant sunset at day's end (and the miner's hopes fading away...).

David Dzubay, April 2023