2.2.2.2/4.3.3.1/timp.3perc/hp/strings
Commissioners:
Berlin Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, St. Louis Symphony
First Performance:
Thursday, June 8, 2023
Berlin PhilharmonicPhilharmonie Berlin
Berlin, Germany
The word “pretty” has had a complicated relationship to women. It implies an attractiveness without any rough edges, without strength or power. And it has served as a measure of worth in strange, limited, and destructive ways. It has a less sweet origin from the old English – “cunning, crafty, clever.” As words evolve, it morphed to a much softer sentiment. My Pretty is a raucous celebration – embracing the grit of fiddling, the relentlessness of work rhythms, and inspired by the distortion and reverberation of rock and roll.
— Julia Wolfe