Program Note |
By Carys Sutherland
In the southern U.S., “sercy” refers to a small, unexpected gift. And what lovelier present is there to receive, or to give, than music? Wagner wrote Siegfried Idyll as a “push present” for his wife after the birth of their son; Fanny Mendelssohn composed Das Jahr, a piano suite based on the months of the year, as a Christmas gift for her husband. How romantic to be immortalized as a muse. One thing that makes music history so compelling is the realization that our repertoire exists not simply as creative obsessions or pursuits of fame and fortune but as expressions of love made immune to the ravages of time. Something fundamental about the nature of gifts, as composer Hilary Purrington (MM ’15, composition) points out, is reciprocity, the mutual benefit to giver and recipient. Joy propagates joy. For Purrington, the commissioning of this piece was a gift as well as a way to give back to Juilliard, her alma mater. “My time at Juilliard was an immense gift, so composing this work really does come from a place of gratitude,” she says. Since studying at Juilliard, Purrington has made a successful career as both a composer and a vocalist, and her works have been performed by the Atlanta, Minnesota, and Phoenix symphony orchestras, among many others. A prominent subset of Purrington’s career is her compositions for dance, and this is evident in the ethereal opening to Sercy, which feels like descending down stairs into a candlelit ballroom. Woodwinds and trumpets swirl atop a plush bed of strings. The score gives us all the language to immerse ourselves in the atmosphere—“bright,” “sparkling,” “effervescent,” “buoyant”—and the triplets dance across the page. The overall effect of the piece is one of all-encompassing wonder and intoxicating beauty in a world where that can be sometimes hard to find. Another gift Sercy gives is the unique opportunity it presents as a premiere, allowing this incarnation of the Juilliard Orchestra to interpret a piece for the first time without preconceived notions. The majority of a young musician’s time is spent emulating legendary recordings of legendary players: It’s not every day you get to set the example yourself. Sercy’s gift to the world, then, is kaleidoscopic—to the audience, the performers, the school, and the composer herself. |
Premiere |
Commissioned by The Juilliard School for Juilliard Orchestra’s Commencement Concert.
First performance by Juilliard Orchestra on May 23, 2024. |