Dialogues

Description

Flute 1, Flute 2, Flute 3, Piccolo, Oboe 1, Oboe 2, English Horn, Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Horn in F, Trumpet in C, Trombone, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion, Piano, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Contrabass — A devout Catholic and social progressive, Louise Talma was devastated by John F. Kennedy's death, and immediately began commemorating the president in her music. Her first work of commemoration was her piano concerto Dialogues, which was premiered in December 1965 by pianist Grant Johannesen and the Buffalo Orchestra led by Lukas Foss. A response to Kennedy's unfinished plans, all five of the piece's movements, Challenge, Struggle, Respite, Pursuit, and Peace, are focused on the creation and completion of patterns. --Kendra Preston Leonard, Louise Talma: A Life in Composition