The name is absent

57

Black Birds, Red Hills

Background

The first version of BlackBirds, Red Hills was composed in 1987, the last year of
Larsen’s four-year Minnesota Orchestra residency. Commissioned by The University of
Alabama for soprano Thea Engelson and clarinetist Scott Bridges, it was originally
conceived as a song cycle for soprano, clarinet, and piano based on six Georgia O’Keeffe
paintings and their accompanying narrative.¹¹ The only stipulation of the commission,
requested by Engelson, was that the piece have some connection to female artists.

A 1996 recording project with clarinetist Caroline Hartig led Larsen to revise the
piece as an instrumental trio for clarinet, viola, and piano. Besides the obvious timbre
change, no significant adjustments were made structurally, melodically, or harmonically
to the piece; only a few small modifications were made to adapt the vocal line to the
viola. Larsen chose the viola over the violin to replace the soprano because of the color of
the instrument and the fact that none of the vocal writing was particularly high.¹² She
was attracted to the richer and rounder sound of the viola and believes that the viola has
many more color possibilities than the violin.¹³

Larsen chose both the narrative and the images from: Georgia O’Keeffe, Georgia
O ’Keeffe: A Studio Book (New York: Viking Press, 1976).

¹² Larsen, interview, 7/2009.

¹³ Ibid.

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