Tales of Euclid Beach Park (2023/2024)
Instrumentation: clarinet, violin, cello, piano
Duration: 26 minutes
Commissioned by Musical Upcoming Stars in the Classics (M.U.S.i.C.) 2023
Duration: 26 minutes
Commissioned by Musical Upcoming Stars in the Classics (M.U.S.i.C.) 2023
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Program Note:
Tales of Euclid Beach Park is my third work for the stupendous musicians of Stars in the Classics. This latest collaboration continues in the spirit of my earlier works by drawing on history for inspiration. Euclid Beach Park was an amusement park in Cleveland, Ohio that operated from 1895 to 1969, a total of 74 seasons. Under the direction of the entrepreneurial, popcorn-making Humphrey family, the park rose to fame as an exemplary amusement park complete with a massive dance pavilion, beach and pier, campgrounds, many rides, thrilling roller coasters, and legendary confections.
In The Arch and Grand Carousel, the opening depicts the anticipation and excitement of walking into the park under the entry arch—which is still standing! The arch greeted millions of visitors to Euclid Beach Park and was a sign of the good times and family fun to follow once guests arrived. The music then turns to the grand carrousel, the heart of the park. Manufactured in 1910 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel now operates at the Cleveland History Center thanks to the preservation efforts of The Trust For Public Land, Cleveland Tomorrow, Western Reserve Historical Society, and Euclid Beach Park Now. The carousel housed a masterful band organ that filled the ride with lighthearted tunes and happy melodies. In the clarinet, a Strauss-like waltz comes to life and floats along as the carrousel begins to spin. We take several trips around the carousel and spy some nearby attractions: the silly Surprise House (with Laughing Sal) and the speedy Racing Derby.
In the first half of the twentieth century, dance pavilions were a staple of Ohio amusement parks. They were large, impressive, glamourous buildings that could accommodate hundreds of dancers. The Euclid Beach Park dance pavilion boasted an 18,000 square feet floor and was used additionally for many events ranging from company picnics to beauty pageants. Though it underwent various modifications, the dance pavilion was an 1895 opening-day attraction that lasted for the entirety of Euclid Beach Park. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1972. During its life, the dance pavilion witnessed a varied array of dances including the foxtrot and two-step of the 1910s-1920s, the big band era of swing in the 1930s-1940s, and the twist of early rock and roll in the 1950s. The spirit of these dances come together to depict the energetic livelihood of the pavilion in Swing and a Twist at the Dance Pavilion.
Like the dance pavilion, the pier was an original attraction at Euclid Beach Park that lasted for all 74 seasons. In the beginning it was intended as a dock for passenger ferries bringing visitors. However, the ferry service didn’t last long, and the pier instead became a popular place to stroll, relax, test your luck at fishing, or watch the sunset. During my research on Euclid Beach Park, watching the sunset from the pier was an experience that repeatedly came up in conversation and literature. In writing The Pier at Sunset I specifically wanted to capture a scene described in the book Euclid Beach Park–A Second Look by Lee Bush, Edward Chukayne, Russel Hehr, and Richard Hershey. “The pier provided a romantic setting for many. From the end of the pier the park seemed to float in the night, aglow with the thousands of lights, with many of the sounds muted by the waves meeting the beach.”
Euclid Beach Park saw the construction of seven different roller coasters in its lifetime. The early coasters were designed by LaMarcus A. Thompson, an Ohio-born inventor and “Father of the American Roller Coaster.” His original patents were inspired by the Mauch Chunk Railway, a sloping railroad where gravity (a free and abundant resource) brought mine carts downhill to transport coal. Over time, the roller coasters of Euclid Beach Park became faster, taller, and more elaborate.
The most important roller coasters were the Racing Coaster (1913), Thriller (1924), and Flying Turns (1930). The Racing Coaster featured a set of two adjacent tracks where trains raced alongside each other. More ambitious, the Thriller was the fastest, tallest, and most popular roller coaster, carrying over 400,000 passengers in some seasons. However, the most innovative roller coaster was the Flying Turns. Created by World War I Canadian fighter pilot John Bartlett and engineer John Miller, its toboggan-style track made for an exciting ride that felt like a bobsled flying through the air. Since the Flying Turns used two-seater cars, it became especially popular with couples and was mentioned in the lyrics of the 1965 Beach Boys song Amusement Parks U.S.A. In Hills, Thrills, and Flying Turns, I translate the excitement of these famous coasters through fast, animated up-and-down passages, a counterpoint of racing ideas, and melodies that sway to-and-fro. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
I wish to give my sincere thanks to Maria Beyens, Brendon Phelps, and Jazmin Pascual, for their amazing artistry and collaboration, and to Jodi Kanter for her support and encouragement.
Tales of Euclid Beach Park is my third work for the stupendous musicians of Stars in the Classics. This latest collaboration continues in the spirit of my earlier works by drawing on history for inspiration. Euclid Beach Park was an amusement park in Cleveland, Ohio that operated from 1895 to 1969, a total of 74 seasons. Under the direction of the entrepreneurial, popcorn-making Humphrey family, the park rose to fame as an exemplary amusement park complete with a massive dance pavilion, beach and pier, campgrounds, many rides, thrilling roller coasters, and legendary confections.
In The Arch and Grand Carousel, the opening depicts the anticipation and excitement of walking into the park under the entry arch—which is still standing! The arch greeted millions of visitors to Euclid Beach Park and was a sign of the good times and family fun to follow once guests arrived. The music then turns to the grand carrousel, the heart of the park. Manufactured in 1910 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel now operates at the Cleveland History Center thanks to the preservation efforts of The Trust For Public Land, Cleveland Tomorrow, Western Reserve Historical Society, and Euclid Beach Park Now. The carousel housed a masterful band organ that filled the ride with lighthearted tunes and happy melodies. In the clarinet, a Strauss-like waltz comes to life and floats along as the carrousel begins to spin. We take several trips around the carousel and spy some nearby attractions: the silly Surprise House (with Laughing Sal) and the speedy Racing Derby.
In the first half of the twentieth century, dance pavilions were a staple of Ohio amusement parks. They were large, impressive, glamourous buildings that could accommodate hundreds of dancers. The Euclid Beach Park dance pavilion boasted an 18,000 square feet floor and was used additionally for many events ranging from company picnics to beauty pageants. Though it underwent various modifications, the dance pavilion was an 1895 opening-day attraction that lasted for the entirety of Euclid Beach Park. Sadly, it was destroyed by a fire in 1972. During its life, the dance pavilion witnessed a varied array of dances including the foxtrot and two-step of the 1910s-1920s, the big band era of swing in the 1930s-1940s, and the twist of early rock and roll in the 1950s. The spirit of these dances come together to depict the energetic livelihood of the pavilion in Swing and a Twist at the Dance Pavilion.
Like the dance pavilion, the pier was an original attraction at Euclid Beach Park that lasted for all 74 seasons. In the beginning it was intended as a dock for passenger ferries bringing visitors. However, the ferry service didn’t last long, and the pier instead became a popular place to stroll, relax, test your luck at fishing, or watch the sunset. During my research on Euclid Beach Park, watching the sunset from the pier was an experience that repeatedly came up in conversation and literature. In writing The Pier at Sunset I specifically wanted to capture a scene described in the book Euclid Beach Park–A Second Look by Lee Bush, Edward Chukayne, Russel Hehr, and Richard Hershey. “The pier provided a romantic setting for many. From the end of the pier the park seemed to float in the night, aglow with the thousands of lights, with many of the sounds muted by the waves meeting the beach.”
Euclid Beach Park saw the construction of seven different roller coasters in its lifetime. The early coasters were designed by LaMarcus A. Thompson, an Ohio-born inventor and “Father of the American Roller Coaster.” His original patents were inspired by the Mauch Chunk Railway, a sloping railroad where gravity (a free and abundant resource) brought mine carts downhill to transport coal. Over time, the roller coasters of Euclid Beach Park became faster, taller, and more elaborate.
The most important roller coasters were the Racing Coaster (1913), Thriller (1924), and Flying Turns (1930). The Racing Coaster featured a set of two adjacent tracks where trains raced alongside each other. More ambitious, the Thriller was the fastest, tallest, and most popular roller coaster, carrying over 400,000 passengers in some seasons. However, the most innovative roller coaster was the Flying Turns. Created by World War I Canadian fighter pilot John Bartlett and engineer John Miller, its toboggan-style track made for an exciting ride that felt like a bobsled flying through the air. Since the Flying Turns used two-seater cars, it became especially popular with couples and was mentioned in the lyrics of the 1965 Beach Boys song Amusement Parks U.S.A. In Hills, Thrills, and Flying Turns, I translate the excitement of these famous coasters through fast, animated up-and-down passages, a counterpoint of racing ideas, and melodies that sway to-and-fro. Buckle up and enjoy the ride!
I wish to give my sincere thanks to Maria Beyens, Brendon Phelps, and Jazmin Pascual, for their amazing artistry and collaboration, and to Jodi Kanter for her support and encouragement.