Transcend
(2019) | 21 minutes
Commissioned by 13 American orchestras in commemoration of the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion:
Reno Philharmonic, Laura Jackson, Music Director, in partnership with
Utah Symphony, Thierry Fischer, Music Director
Omaha Symphony, Thomas Wilkins, Music Director
Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera
Boise Philharmonic, Eric Garcia, Music Director
Arapahoe Philharmonic, Devin Patrick Hughes, Music Director
Cheyenne Symphony, William Intriligator, Music Director
Chicago Youth Symphony, Allen Tinkham, Music Director
Central Wisconsin Symphony, Patrick Miles, Music Director
Evanston Symphony, Lawrence Eckerling, Music Director
Idaho State-Civic Symphony, Julie Sorensen, Music Director
Michigan State University Symphony, Jim Forger, Dean
Stanford Symphony, Paul Phillips, Music Director
Scoring: 3(picc) . 3(corA) . 3(Bs.Cl) . 3(cbn) / 4331 / timp / 3 perc: xylophone, glockenspiel, vibraphone, crotale, tamtam, snare drum, suspended cymbal, crash cymbal, bass drum / hp / pno / str
Premiere:
27 April 2019, Pioneer Center for the Performing Arts
Reno, Nevada
Reno Philharmonic
Laura Jackson, conductor
Watch
I. Pulse (0:05)
II. Promise (9:35)
III. D-O-N-E (16:49)
NPR Interview (May 9-10, 2019)
Listen
Excerpt I. Pulse
Excerpt II. Promise
(D-O-N-E Morse Code motif)
Excerpt III. D-O-N-E
©All Rights Reserved.
Programme Note
A few years ago, I was delighted to have been invited to compose a new work commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad’s completion in May 2019. When I learned that 13 American orchestras — many of which located along the route of the Railroad — would join forces together to commission and premiere this new work across the country, I was truly honored, as I knew the significant cultural impact this project would entail.
Begun in 1862 and completed in 1869, the Transcontinental Railroad effectively linked the US from east to west for the first time. Its cultural heritage includes the contribution of a thousands-strong Chinese and Irish workforce who toiled in severe weather and cruel working conditions. Numerous “hell on wheels” towns, as described by the Linda Hall Library, “proliferated along the construction route and became famous for rapid growth and infamous for lawlessness.” As the settlements pushed westward, there was a mixing of ethnic groups and cultures. Unfortunately, as the daunting task of laying tracks over difficult terrain increased, many workers perished, and many of the rest were denied the American dream by the enactment of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. But those who stayed brought traditional art and music into the fabric of American culture.
As a Chinese-born composer who immigrated to this country, educated at the nation’s top music schools, and now serving at one of its finest institutions, I was moved to create this work, to tell a musical story, to celebrate human perseverance, and to pay tribute to my own cultural heritage.
“Transcend” is composed of 3 movements. It begins with “Pulse,” in which rich and expansive strings develop into an exciting pulse of 152 BPM. The violent, percussive poundings that occur from time to time are like blasts of dynamite, evoking the tension and suspense of man versus nature. “Promise,” a meditative second movement, is a vocalise for those who sought a better future. Lyrical woodwind solos, dashing flute and harp, and plush strings are met with traditional Chinese folk music-inspired melodies. The finale, “D-O-N-E,” is based on the rhythm of the word “done” in Morse code. This single word was sent across the US via one of the first nationwide telegraphs when the Railroad was completed in on May 10, 1869. Throughout the movement, the “done” motif is passed back and forth by numerous instruments in the orchestra. An accumulation of materials sends the piece to a climax at the end.
“D-O-N-E” motif, based on the Morse code for the word
“Transcend” was jointly commissioned by Reno Philharmonic (Laura Jackson, Music Director), Utah Symphony (Thierry Fischer), Omaha Symphony (Thomas Wilkins), Sacramento Philharmonic, Boise Philharmonic (Eric Garcia), Arapahoe Philharmonic (Devin Patrick Hughes), Cheyenne Symphony (William Intriligator), Chicago Youth Symphony (Allen Tinkham), Central Wisconsin Symphony (Patrick Miles), Evanston Symphony (Lawrence Eckerling), Idaho State-Civic Symphony (Julie Sorensen), Michigan State University Symphony (Jim Forger), and Stanford Symphony (Paul Phillips). My deep gratitude goes to Laura Jackson, without whose passion, courage, and artistry the project would not have been possible. I want to sincerely thank all commissioning partners and the many kind and enthusiastic men and women who offered insights and personal stories during a year-long research and travel on this piece. As a composer, this has been truly an inspiring journey.
—Zhou Tian
Reviews
“Mr. Zhou’s roughly 20-minute ‘Transcend’ is divided into three distinct sections, each of which evokes some aspect of the railroad, its construction or its history. The first movement, ‘Pulse,’ opens lushly then turns more ominous, with a pulsing, motoric momentum. Bursts of percussion and brasses suggest dynamite blasts; a suspended cymbal, a train bell. Opening with a flute, the ‘Promise’ section brings to mind China, but the music soon effectively blends the sounds of East and West with a tinge of nostalgia. ‘D-O-N-E,’ the finale, is propulsive, its title taken from the Morse code signal, rendered on the trumpet here, that was sent as the final spikes were driven and the railroads connected. The movement’s concluding hell-for-leather fanfare naturally brought the nearly full house at Abravanel Hall roaring to its feet.
“Works like…Mr. Zhou’s orchestral piece accomplish two important things: They remind us of how we got from there to here, and they refine that history by paying belated tribute to contributors who might otherwise be forgotten.”
—David Mermelstein, The Wall Street Journal
“The most compelling part of this concert is the Utah premiere of Transcend by Zhou Tian. This work, commissioned in partnership with thirteen orchestras, celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike that completed the Transcontinental Railroad. Zhou approaches the accomplishment from a poignant angle, relating that thousands of Chinese immigrants lived and died as laborers on the project and for a variety of reasons, their contributions have been overlooked or even denied. Prior to the performance, a video elaborating on that theme is played and this allows the audience to more easily access some of the emotions that Zhou expresses in his composition. The first movement, ‘Pulse,’ is a frenetic depiction of the monumental effort that is punctuated by percussive moments so striking that they bring to mind Alexander Mosolov’s Ironfoundry. ‘Promise,’ the second movement, might have been set in the same tranquility as some of Copland’s quieter moments, but is adorned with Chinese folk songs. The final movement, ‘D-O-N-E,’ puts the Morse Code pattern for this word to music in a triumphant conclusion that recalls the words sent nationwide by telegraph to announce the project’s completion in Utah.”
—Kathryn Olsen, Front Row Review
“The third movement, ‘D-O-N-E,’ in a stroke of genius, used the Morse code for the word “done” to compose a rhythmic motive that would unify the rest of the composition. When the railroad was completed a telegraph message was simultaneously wired to papers across the country with that single word. The motive was passed around and reorganized amidst the strings, winds and even a xylophone growing more and more energized and exhilarated.
The audience approved of the premiere with a standing ovation. It was touching that the piece, while inspired by distant industrial and exploitative victories, had ties to Omaha’s backyard. The Transcontinental Railroad connected to Omaha. The company that built it, Pacific Railroad, would evolve into the Omaha-based Union Pacific Railroad. It’s a treat when classical music has a subject matter with only a few degrees of separation from the Holland Center itself.”
—Omaha World-Herald
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