The Wound-Dresser

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The Wound-Dresser
by John Adams
JA-portrait-1-LW.jpg
StylePostminimalism
Commissioned byCarillon Importers on behalf of Absolut Vodka, with assistance from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra through a gift from Daniel and Constance Kunin
Text"The Wound-Dresser" (Walt Whitman, 1865)
Composed1988
Durationabout 20 minutes
ScoringChamber orchestra and baritone singer
Premiere
Date24 February 1989
LocationSt Paul, Minnesota
ConductorJohn Adams
PerformersSanford Sylvan (baritone) Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra

The Wound-Dresser is a piece for chamber orchestra and baritone singer by composer John Adams. The piece is an elegiac setting of excerpts from American poet Walt Whitman's poem "The Wound-Dresser" (1865) about his experience as a hospital volunteer during the American Civil War.[1]

It was written for baritone singer Sanford Sylvan, who premiered it on 24 February 1989 in St Paul, Minnesota, with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer.[2] It was subsequently recorded by the same forces for Nonesuch Records.[3] Interpreters who have performed and recorded it since have included Thomas Hampson,[4] Nathan Gunn,[5] Jeremy Huw Williams,[citation needed] and Christopher Maltman.[6]

In 2011, the Oregon Symphony performed and recorded the composition for Music for a Time of War.[7][8]

References[]

  1. ^ Kim, Heidi Kathleen (2013-01-01). "Whitman's Identity at War: Contexts and Reception of John Adams' The Wound-Dresser". Walt Whitman Quarterly Review. 30 (2): 78–92. doi:10.13008/2153-3695.2056. ISSN 0737-0679.
  2. ^ http://www.boosey.com/pages/cr/catalogue/cat_detail.asp?musicid=3386
  3. ^ "Fearful Symmetries / The Wound Dresser". www.nonesuch.com. Nonesuch Records. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  4. ^ "Passion & Pain: Adams, Haydn & Schubert". www.prestoclassical.co.uk. Presto Classical. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Adams: Shaker Loops / Wound Dresser / Short Ride in a Fast Machine". www.naxos.com. Naxos Records. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  6. ^ CD: BBCLJ30012; https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/adams-tromba-lontana-violin-concerto-the-wound-dresser
  7. ^ Miller, Michael (April 7, 2012). ""Music for a Time of War" – The Oregon Symphony under Carlos Kalmar play Ives, Adams, Britten, and Vaughan Williams on a Pentatone Release ... Highly Recommended!". The Berkshire Review. Archived from the original on August 28, 2012. Retrieved November 12, 2012.
  8. ^ "Music for a Time of War". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  • The John Adams Earbox, Nonesuch Records, NY 1999

External links[]

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