Thom Ritter George

ERICA (Ballet), CN 299 (1979)

PROGRAM NOTES

Thom Ritter George completed his ballet Erica on January 7, 1979.  Although originally written for a staged performance by the Pamela Bedford Dance Theater, the score was first played in a concert performance on February 17, 1983.  The composer conducted the Quincy Symphony Orchestra, Quincy, Illinois.

Erica is a lyric piece for five dancers, three women and two men.  Its dark story of love and death is only made clear at the ballet's conclusion with the triumph of the principal dancer (Erica) over the remaining women dancers.

Although the score calls for reduced winds, many of the more exotic instruments are used: alto flute, vibraphone, celesta, temple blocks, ratchet and other unusual percussion instruments.

The instrumentation for Erica is flute (alternating piccolo and alto flute), oboe, clarinet, bassoon, two horns, percussion, harp, and strings.

(TRGcm:2008.09.10)