The story, “Any Sign of Life?”, was literally born out of the music it surrounds.
Its ideas and characters in all their detail, arose from my personal feelings generated by the inner qualities of these classical pieces. Music is frequently used during a play or film to enhance the drama, beauty, or poignancy of the moment; to deepen and prolong the feelings associated with characters and events in the story. This is also true with my “Stories in Concert”, only the focus is on the music itself. With the addition of story-telling, I have “crossed” art forms to frame the music in a new light. Yet no “program” or alterations to the music itself has occurred. The musical works are like paintings, hung in the gallery of a story that has mood and atmosphere. This has the intention of opening the listener even more fully, if possible to the limitless colorations and emotions in performance.
Business comprises a large part of today’s world. I’ve known individuals in business who, in discussion of my art, have described their own work as a kind of art as well. Whether it’s playing beautiful music, managing a railroad, being a ticket agent for an airline, or climbing a mountain, I believe all can have equivalent value if one’s approach is true to one’s inner convictions. elements in this tale, such as freedom, progress, challenge and co-operation are as inherent in music as they are in everyday living.
CAST OF CHARACTER:
Christopher Saen – branch-manager of TransRail’s north line.
Julian Mannus – Railroad business consultant; worked for TransRail at one time.
Dale Shaman, Earnie Shaman, Charles Larkin – two brothers and a partner comprising the executive management for TransRail.
Kyle Landt – a chief dispatcher for Northern Railroad.
Clay Burton – owner of Continental Railroad.
Narrator
Also – executives and workers from various railroad companies.
CAST OF COMPANIES:
TRANSRAIL – a large Railroad; long arteries of track though key gateways connecting important regions.
CONTINTENTAL RAILROAD – a young, growing railroad.
NORTHERN RAILROAD – a middle-sized line, sharing a main gateway with TransRail.
| OVERTURE Prelude in D flat, op.32 #13 |
Rachmaninoff |
| PROLOGUE Prelude in C# minor, op.11 #10 |
Scriabin |
| “NEW LANDS” Prelude in A major, op.5 #4 |
Kabalevsky |
| CHRISTOPHER SAEN Prelude in A major, op.11 #7 Prelude in B minor, op.5 #3 |
Scriabin Kabalevsky |
| “LEGENDS” Prelude in C# minor, op.38 #10 |
Kabalevsky |
| “THE BID” Prelude in B flat minor, op.11 #16 |
Scriabin |
| CONTINENTAL RAILDROAD Prelude in E flat, op.11 #14 |
Scriabin |
| “RAINBOW” Prelude in B flat major, op.23 #2 |
Rachmaninoff |
| KYLE LANDT Prelude in E flat major, op.23 #6 |
Rachmaninoff |
| “MORE NEWS” Tocatta |
Prokofieff |
| “POINTS OF VIEW” Prelude in C minor, op.1 #7 |
Szymanowski |
| “HEARTBEAT” (from Etudes-Tableux, op.33) #2 in C major – Allegro, molto espressivo #3 in C major – Grave, molto tranquillo |
Rachmaninoff |
| CLAY BURTON Sonata No.5 (in one movement) |
Scriabin |
| OVERTURE Poem in F# major, op.32 #1 |
Scriabin |
| “IRON HORSES” Poem in D major, op.32 #2 |
Scriabin |
| JULIAN MANNUS Elegy, op.3 #1 |
Rachmaninoff |
| “THE NEXT MOMENT” Prelude in C minor, op.23 #7 |
Rachmaninoff |
| “SOLITUDE” Pavane (“for a dead princess”) “Sad Birds” |
Ravel Ravel |
| “ALL STOPS OUT” Etude in D# minor, op. 8 #13 |
Scriabin |
| EPILOGUE Polonaise-Fantasie |
Chopin |
