Georgia O’Keeffe's extensive letter-writing over her lifetime served as the foundation and inspiration for Kevin Puts's remarkable orchestral song cycle. This composition will be performed by the BSO with Renée Fleming and Rodney Gilfey in their upcoming subscription concerts. Those fortunate enough to have heard the world premiere at Tanglewood in 2019 know the extraordinary musical experience it offers.

Orchestral Grandeur and Visual Enhancements

The cycle unfolds in a darkened hall, accompanied by projected visualizations and supertitles. The orchestration for "The Brightness of Light" is surprisingly large, featuring triple winds with full range extensions and a normal brass complement. Even when the vocalists are singing, the surrounding orchestration creates a powerful and grand atmosphere. This orchestral grandeur is reminiscent of works like Kindertotenlieder, yet Puts navigates it skillfully to ensure the two vocal soloists are always heard clearly.In the darkened hall, the projected visuals add an extra layer of depth to the performance. We see photos of Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, as well as examples of their handwritten letters and O’Keeffe's art. These projections enhance the storytelling aspect of the piece, allowing the audience to connect more deeply with the emotions and relationship between the two artists.

Harmonic Exploration and Pitch Centricity

In "The Brightness of Light", each movement is nicely rooted around a centric pitch, but the harmonic field is extensive. Puts doesn't have a specific plan when venturing into the harmonic landscape at the beginning of each piece. He often stays around a particular key or harmonic area for a while but is always looking for opportunities to pivot away and explore other harmonic areas. This process of harmonic development is like a journey of evolution through common-tone modulation, where certain notes from one harmony hold over into the next, creating striking musical moments.For example, in one movement, the initial centric pitch provides a stable foundation, but as the music progresses, the harmonic field expands, introducing new colors and textures. The listener is taken on a musical adventure, experiencing the beauty and complexity of Puts's harmonic language.

Composing to Shared Letters

Writing "The Brightness of Light" was a unique experience for Puts. He worked for months to create the libretto himself, drawing from the many letters between Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz. This allowed him to choose phrases that were beautiful and poetic, which he could then set to music.While there were necessary prosaic lines to tell the story clearly, Puts found that even these had their own inherent musicality. He believes the English language is very musical and easy to set to music. By reacting to the text as he would when writing opera, he was able to create a composition that seamlessly weaves together the words and music.For instance, in a particular section, the prosaic text about a specific moment in their relationship is set to a melody that conveys the depth of their emotions. This shows Puts's ability to transform seemingly ordinary text into something truly musical.

Tailoring to Specific Performers

Puts writes his works with specific performers in mind. For "The Brightness of Light", he tailored the piece very much for Renée Fleming and Rodney Gilfry. He worked closely with Renée, tweaking things as needed to ensure she got exactly what she needed vocally. This kind of adjustment process is crucial when working with artists of their caliber.They have a unique sense of communication with the performance environment, even for a work that has not yet been premiered. Their experience on the stage allows them to anticipate and respond to the music in a way that enhances the overall performance.

Multimedia Experience

The house will be dark during the performance, with both projections and supertitles. Wendall Harrington's work with the projections is truly beautiful and artful. The combination of visuals and music creates a multimedia experience that is both immersive and engaging.Whether the projections distract or enhance is a matter of personal perception. Many orchestras have programmed this piece with Renée and Rod, and the use of projections has become almost a standard. It adds an extra dimension to the performance, making it a truly unique and unforgettable experience.