High and the Mighty, The

The High and the Mighty by Michael Daugherty
For Piccolo and Piano

The High and the Mighty for piccolo and piano was written for a special concert celebrating the life and career of John Krell, an extraordinary solo piccoloist and member of the Philadelphia Orchestra flute section from 1952 until 1981. The composition is recalls the years after World War II in America, when air travel was considered luxurious and glamorous, and going to the airport was a national pastime. The first movement features a soaring, lyrical tune flutter-tongued by the piccoloist. The second movement begins with an angular piccolo cadenza, which is followed by a robust high-altitude bossa nova.