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American Gothic is an orchestral composition by the Grammy Award-winning American composer Michael Daugherty. The approximately 20-minute work is composed in three movements inspired by the paintings of the Iowan artist Grant Wood (1891-1942). Daugherty is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the piece premiered on May 4, 2013, at Cedar Rapid's Paramount Theatre, with Timothy Hankewich, conductor.
Contents
Instrumentation
Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players), harp, piano, and strings.
Movements
- On a Roll
- Winter Dreams
- Pitchfork
Reception
The world premiere of American Gothic received a strongly favorable review, noting the 1,000+ listeners in attendance and the enthusiastic reception of Daugherty's groundbreaking foray into orchestral bluegrass in the third movement.