Tam O'Shanter - Symphonic Ballad after Robert Burns (1915)

An orchestral work by American composer George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931), based on the Robert Burns poem of the same name. Chadwick composed this work as a gift for the 1915 Norfolk Festival in Connecticut, which was run by his friend and colleague Horatio Parker.

In the poem, Tam O'Shanter makes his way home after a long night at the pub. He witnesses a fantastic vision of witches and monsters gathered at an abandoned church, dancing to Scots music. From his hiding spot, Tam enjoys watching the dance of a certain witch in a short skirt so much that he can't help exclaiming, "Weel done, cutty sark!" This is represented by the somewhat grotesque - and truly drunk-sounding - horn and bassoon recitative at [11:54]. At that, the fiends turn and pursue him. In the end, Tam barely manages to ride over an old bridge before the infernal creatures can overtake him.

Text of Robert Burns' poem:
[ Ссылка ]

Conductor: Neeme Järvi
Detroit Symphony Orchestra

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