Fire and Blood (Daugherty)

Fire and Blood for solo violin and orchestra by composer Michael Daugherty is a 25-minute concerto inspired by Diego Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals and Frida Kahlo's paintings done in Detroit. It was commissioned by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra during Michael Daugherty's time as composer in residence (1999-2003).^[1][2]

Detroit Industry, North Wall, 1932-33. Detroit Institute of Arts.

Instrumentation

Solo violin; 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb, 2 bassoons; 2 or 4 horns, 2 trumpets in C; 5 timpani, 2 percussion (I=marimba/glockenspiel/suspended cymbal/piccolo triangle/medium maracas/guiro/small brake drum/large whip; II=marimba/2 crotales/small tam-tam/triangle/large maracas/medium and large brake drums/ratchet); harp; strings^[3]

Movements

• I. Volcano
• II. River Rouge
• III. Assembly Line

Premiere

The world premiere performance took place May 3, 2003, at Symphony Hall, Detroit, Michigan; with Ida Kavafian on violin, accompanied by Detroit Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of Neeme Järvi.

Discography

Naxos: Fire and Blood / MotorCity Triptych / Raise the Roof (Kavafian, B. Jones, Detroit Symphony, N. Jarvi)^[4]