i can see my country from here.
(a symphony in four continuous movements)

i. free labor, free land, free men.
ii. liberté, égalité, fraternité.
iii. ethos, pathos, logos.
epilogue: i can see my country from here.

by kyle saulnier

premiered on 11.11.2016 in Brooklyn, NY

by:

kyle saulnier (conductor)
rob mosher, vito chiavuzzo, samuel ryder, andrew gutauskas, felipe salles (reeds)
daniel urness, seneca black, nadje noordhuis, david smith (trumpets)
michael boscarino, matthew musselman, samuel burtis, max seigel (trombones)
julie hardy, seth fruiterman (voices)
james shipp, michael macallister, aaron kotler, joshua paris, will clark (rhythm)

Originally billed as election year: a Work in progress., i can see my country from here. is the second symphony for the Awakening Orchestra by Kyle Saulnier, composed across the entire span of the election year as events unfolded. Each of the three performances saw new movements and material added to the work, relevant to both the 2016 election cycle in real time and to the dates on which the performances occurred. All performances premiered at the visionary ShapeShifter Lab.

i. free labor, free land, free men.
(premiered 03.20.2016)

Free Labor, Free Land, Free Men was the original slogan of the Republican Party when it was founded on March 20th, 1854 as a pro-labor, anti-slavery, progressive party. This first movement deals with the seeming incompatibility of that original intent with the current GOP, as well as the chaos and passion of the primary season.

ii. liberté, égalité, fraternité.
(premiered 07.14.2016)

Named for one of the central mottos of the French Revolution (and the current national motto of France), the second movement explores the emotions of the buildup to the party conventions, as both parties look to be on the brink of fracturing. The contrast between the democratic ideals of the French Revolution and our questionable democratic processes of today is the main focus here.

iii. ethos, pathos, logos.
(premiered 11.11.2016)

Named for Aristotle's three modes of persuasion, this final movement is a study in influence, as each candidate's appeals to his/her constituency followed a markedly different blueprint. Faced with a strife-ridden campaign where it appears as though our civil liberties are on the line, the movement's premiere on Veteran's Day is an opportunity to acknowledge that those liberties have been earned through the tremendous sacrifice of so many.

iv. epilogue: i can see my country from here.

Forward.