Composer: Stevens, John
Instrumentation: Solo and Piano Instruments: French Horn, Piano
Genre: Contemporary
with Piano
In Rodin’s Garden was composed in the fall of 2015 for my friend and former colleague Dan Grabois, horn professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Music. While thoroughly enjoying a stroll through the Rodin museum in Paris the previous spring I thought to compose something for Dan, in part because his knowledge of French and Paris was so helpful in preparation for my visit. This short, simple work is meant to be peaceful, reflective and perhaps a bit melancholy; evoking the feeling one gets when viewing Rodin’s sculptures in that beautiful setting. It is a quiet respite for the performer as well as the audience and, as such, is intended to be used as an interlude, or perhaps an encore, on a program of larger, more complex works. Visiting a place like Rodin’s garden is a way of taking a little time out from life to reflect in a setting that is simple and lovely. It is my hope that this piece provides that same sort of “time out”.
- John Stevens
