HOT AIR (1991) 16'30''

Theodore Presser
woodwind quintet
Comm. and prem: 3/6/92; The Renaissance City Winds, Pittsburgh, PA
I. Hot Air II. Who is Gulliver? III. In My Land IV. Yahoos

An exploration of musical material from Bond's first opera Travels, based on Jonathan Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Hot Air reflects Gulliver's restless energy, his constant hunger for adventure, his eagerness for the journey, impatient to begin; Who Is Gulliver? finds him at a turning point, where he has lost his direction and sense of identity; In My Land the Houyhnhnms, a society of horses, possess an intelligence far exceeding humans, the music reflecting their lofty spirit. Yahoos is an unflattering portrait of human beings as described by Swift. These primitive creatures are selfish and aggressive, and the piece revels in their nasty whoops and hollers.