Peaches at Midnight
Year Composed: 2010
Recording Available: Michele Fiala, "Overheard", MSR Classics
Duration: 10:00
Instrumentation: Oboe and Piano (2010), or Clarinet and Piano (arr. 2012)
Commissioner:
Ohio University for Michele Fiala
Premiere:
Jun. 4, 2011, International Double Reed Society Conference, Tempe, AZ by Michele Fiala and Andrew Campbell
Program Notes:
One night at midnight my two-year-old son woke up and sweetly asked if he could have some peaches. Normally I would have said “no,” but the idea seemed so absurd and hilarious that I decided to allow him to come downstairs for a midnight snack. I even took a picture to commemorate the event. When sharing the story and picture with friends, the phrase “Peaches at Midnight” stuck with me and inspired me to write this piece.
The form of the piece is a “mirror” form, in which sections from the beginning return, but in the opposite order in which they first appeared. The beginning and the end suggest awakening and falling back asleep. The middle sections depict the joyful exuberance, creative imagination, energetic playfulness, and abrupt temperament changes of toddlers that make experiencing life with them so unpredictable and wonderful.