Scott Good

Franklin Carmichael's painting of same name serves as inspiration for this piece. 

 

This painting has personal significance for me, as I have been to this place many times. Carmichael's careful choice of subjects of a vast growing landscape and decay, reveals  a microcosm of the life cycle.  The dying trees reach out in the evening of their life - are they yearning for the last rays of sunshine, or offering an invitation to join?

The music is written to evoke this contemplation.  The bulk of the orchestra paints the trees through the intoning of perfect 5th intervals, establishing the mood, harmonic rhythm, and colour.  The Cor Anglais comments as the observing protagonist, reflecting emotionally to what the landscape offers.  The cymbals wash throughout, intoning the wind gently moving through the branches and caressing the observer.

 

Reviews:

 

An evening of art and music at the Maison Symphonique de Montréal

Stephen Raskauskas, October 31, 2013

 

"Scott Good’s Evening, North Shore, Lake Superior offered a beautiful musical interpretation of a painting by Franklin Carmichael. When listening to Good’s piece, you are transported from the concert hall to the landscape in Carmichael’s painting. You can practically feel the last rays of sunshine through orange autumn leaves when hearing his effective use of the woodwinds and the harp."

 

 

Classical music review: OSM

Arthur Kaptainis, Special to the Gazette, November 1, 2013

 

"Scott Good’s Evening, North Shore, Lake Superior (Franklin Carmichael) was a sumptuously orchestrated mood piece with an English horn solo line. Think of Delius with some Canadian backbone."

 

 

Montreal Symphony Delivers a Fine Evening

Richard Todd, Ottawa Citizen, October 31

 

" ...a gem, worth repeated hearings."