- Date: 20th century
- Composer: David Soldier
- Period: Modern (1910-1949)
Review
This delightful suite of 5 dances was written for composer Otto Luening's 90th birthday and can be played on flute or many other woodwinds (one especially fine recorded performance has been made on alto saxophone). The suite, of approximately 11 1/2 minutes total duration, is a wonderful study in pure melodic writing.The first dance "Jig" is in a joyful 6/8 time that bounces all over the place, something between a sailor's dance and a jazz-inflected romp.
The "Fugue in one voice" modulates a ballad-like phrase onto the various key steps where fugal voices would normally enter, and provides imaginative variations on the engaging tune.
"Cortijo" is described by the composer as "a master of syncopation who led one of the great dance bands in the 1950's. His records are still sold in the southwestern United States." It's a jumpy and happy little tune with snappy jazz inflections.
The "Allemande" has only a suggestion of J.S. Bach in some of the chromatic notes, but has more of a gently sighing quality lurking among its sprightly rhythms.
The concluding "Forty-niner and double" is described by the composer as "a social dance performed in the 'checkerboard' area where Northeast Arizona meets Utah and New Mexico". A traveling vaudeville troupe that played the Kiowa reservation in Oklahoma had barkers who would yell "come see the gals of forty-nine !", probably referring to the women who accompanied the 1849 Gold Rush prospectors. The tune is characterized by wide pitch skips and repeated tones with a Mexican flavor. ~ "Blue" Gene Tyranny, Rovi
Albums with Complete Performances of the Work
| Title | Date |
| Dave Soldier: Chamber Music |
| Ut, for viola | |
| Utaki, The Sacred Grove, for euphonium, piano & string quartet |
