Title
Threnody II
Subtitle
In memoriam Beatrice Cunningham
For
alto flute and string trio
Year Composed
1973
ARCO Number(s)
97
Category
Chamber
Duration
4'
Premiere
  • World: Ojai, CA, June 2nd, 1973
Commission Info
The Ojai Festival
Publisher
Boosey & Hawkes
Publishing Status
Published
Buying Options
Boosey & Hawkes

Program Note

Boosey & Hawkes invited sixteen composers to compose brief pieces in honor of Stravinsky after his death in 1971. Threnody: in memoriam Igor Stravinsky was later called simply Threnody I. It is a two minute piece featuring a flute melody above a canonic ground in strings. Threnody II was composed as an elegy to Copland's friend, Beatrice Cunningham. Copland described it as being "more complex than Threnody I." Since both pieces are short, Copland paired them for their premiere at the Ojai Festival under Michael Tilson Thomas in 1973.

Author
Vivian Perlis
Year
1998