American Gothic (composition)

American Gothic is an orchestral composition by the American composer Michael Daugherty. The approximately 20-minute work is composed in three movements inspired by the paintings of the Iowan artist Grant Wood (1891-1942). Daugherty is a native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the piece premiered on May 4, 2013, at Cedar Rapids' Paramount Theatre, with Timothy Hankewich, conductor.

Instrumentation
Piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (3 players), harp, piano, and strings.

Movements

 * 1) On a Roll
 * 2) Winter Dreams
 * 3) Pitchfork

Reception
The world premiere of American Gothic received a strongly favorable review, noting the 1,000+ listeners in attendance and the enthusiastic reception of Daugherty's groundbreaking foray into orchestral bluegrass in the third movement.

Discography

 * Michael Daugherty -- American Gothic (2014)