American Visions

Two Songs on Poems of Yevgeny Yevtushenko (Version for baritone and chamber ensemble)
  • Title American Visions
  • Year 1998
  • Instr fl/picc,cl/bcl,vln,vc,pf,perc,baritone solo
  • Duration 26 min
  • Categories Vocal, Chamber
  • Publisher C.F. Peters (Wise Music)
  • AlternatesAmerican Visions (orchestra)
    Two Songs on Poems of Yevgeny Yevtushenko (Version for baritone and chamber orchestra)

First performance:
Da Capo Chamber Players, Andre Solomon-Glover, baritone, Louis Karchin, conductor
Christ and St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, NYC, Jan. 28, 1999

Awarded the Heckscher Foundation Prize

Reviews

The highlight of the evening came at the conclusion: American Visions, the setting of two poems by the well-known Russian poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko for chamber ensemble with baritone (Dominic Inferrera), led admirably by Karchin. Yevtushenko creates an immediate visceral, graphic poetry that is almost music itself. Naturally, if one chooses to set these poems, it is important to punctuate and amplify the poetry…. It´s a tough assignment, but Lou handles it perfectly, echoing, in instrumental colors, the multi-colored poetic text.
“Yevtushenko was present at the concert and reception and read a birthday tribute to Lou.

Joseph Pehrson, The New Music Connoisseur (12/2002)

“American Visions [is] an immense musical fresco…. Mr. Karchin likes to explore wide harmonic worlds, but with precision and determination.”

(referring to a 50th birthday concert for the composer on Sept. 24, 2002

Paul Griffiths, New York Times (09/2002)

Discs