THE MONTEREY SYMPHONY TO PRESENT THE WORLD PREMIERE OF A SPECIALLY-COMMISSIONED WORK IN HONOR OF JOHN STEINBECK'S CENTENARY "AND IN THE AIR THESE SOUNDS...", A WORK FOR BARITONE AND ORCHESTRA COMPOSED BY ALLEN SHAWN WITH WORDS BY JAMAICA KINCAID, WILL BE PERFORMED ON FEBRUARY 24, 25 AND 26, 2002, UNDER THE DIRECTION OF KATE TAMARKIN

The Monterey Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of its Music Director Kate Tamarkin, will perform the world premiere of a specially-commissioned work honoring John Steinbeck (1902-1968) on the centenary of his birth. The 30-minute piece, entitled "And in the air these sounds..." (subtitled "a monodrama for baritone and orchestra") was composed by Allen Shawn with an original text by Jamaica Kincaid. The work was commissioned by the Monterey Symphony to celebrate Salinas-native Steinbeck, one of the world's most widely-read authors, whose major works of fiction were set in Monterey County. The performances will take place on February 24 in Pacific Grove at 3 p.m.; February 25 in Pacific Grove at 8 p.m.; and February 26 in Salinas at 8 p.m. Steinbeck's 100th birthday will be on February 27.

Award-winning baritone Clayton Brainerd, the featured soloist for the Shawn work, will also perform selections from Aaron Copland's "Old American Songs." Aaron Copland was associated with many John Steinbeck projects. One of Copland's best film scores was composed for an adaptation of the Steinbeck classic, "The Red Pony." The orchestral suite fashioned by Copland himself from this score will conclude the program. (The ranch which was the setting for Steinbeck's story is still a working farm located two miles from the Salinas concert hall.) The program will also feature "Sensamaya" by Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, included because of Steinbeck's love of Mexico, evidenced by his books "Viva Zapata" and "The Sea of Cortez."

Kate Tamarkin and Joseph Truskot, Executive Director of the Monterey Symphony, conceived the idea of the Steinbeck commission. They chose Allen Shawn, a recent winner of the prestigious Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy, to compose the score, and Jamaica Kincaid, the noted American writer, to create the original text. The West Indies-born writer's unique voice addresses many themes similar to those found in the works of John Steinbeck. Both Shawn and Kincaid are avid Steinbeck fans.

"Steinbeck's books have captured the imagination of the world. They beautifully describe our local environment and, in telling the stories of ordinary people, convey universal human values," said Joe Truskot. "This collaboration seemed a natural way of celebrating this great writer's genius. We are continuing the creative process."

Ms. Tamarkin voiced her satisfaction at being part of the commissioning project, saying, "Conductors are, of course, essential after the birth of a work, but are not always part of its conception. As re-creative artists, we deal with the material that others have created; being involved with commissions is as close as we can get to the creative process. It has been very gratifying to collaborate with Allen Shawn and Jamaica Kincaid.

"This commission is especially important because we are honoring John Steinbeck with a work that combines both literature and music. Jamaica's poetic images give us a glimpse into the writer's - and the composer's -- worlds, and the double-edged challenge and invitation of the creator's blank page.

"I have, for years, been close to the music of Allen Shawn, and always admired his great ability to create worlds within orchestral textures. The idea of Allen's music led to having a text written by Jamaica Kincaid, and we decided that the single most effective way to honor a writer might be to bring forth a new creation involving a living writer. Who better to enlighten us about a writer's creative process than a writer?

"Jamaica has produced a deep and evocative text that is beautifully matched by the sensitive and expressive musical setting by Allen Shawn. The use of a baritone soloist seemed natural to embody the words of this author. We hope that this tribute, as a work of art, will have a life of its own."

About the Work - Program Notes by Allen Shawn
Jamaica Kincaid's beautiful text is so rich in images and ideas that it could have been set in any number of ways, and therefore could have meant many different things. To me, it was first and foremost about writing and language, and from the beginning, I saw it as a dramatic scene, almost a monodrama -- an opera scene for one character, a writer, alone at his desk at night, facing a blank page, a blank space, staring into emptiness, facing his own nothingness.

Although both the text and music for this work are filled with emotion and energy, they are, in the end, abstract. The meaning the piece has, and the effect it has on the hearer, will depend on how it is interpreted by the singer, and by the listener. The text put me in mind, while I was working on the score, of writing as varied as the Bible, T. S. Elliott, Lewis Carroll, and Gertrude Stein. It carried me with it by the strength of its poetic imagery, and the conviction behind its strangely inevitable form.

END

[NOT FOR PUBLICATION: For additional information, photographs and interview scheduling, please contact Nancy Shear Arts Services, New York City, 212/496-9418. Thank you.]