Music for The Glass Menagerie

Incidental music for Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie

Commissioned by Peach Theatre Company

Premiere: 13 May 2006

Performed live by Neil Sheppard

Peach Theatre Company production of The Glass Menagerie
Directed by Jesse Peach
Playhouse Theatre, Glen Eden, Auckland

Programme Note

In this score, I hoped to capture the various thematic strands pulling against each other: nostalgia for past glory, unrealistic hopes for the future, and the awareness of both that prevents the characters making a meaningful change in their lives. The music for solo violin was inspired by American folk music. The 2006 Peach Theatre production was directed by Jesse Peach and featured a cast that included Annie Whittle, Glen Pickering, Abigail Greenwood and Ashley Hawkes.
The music was performed live by violinist Neil Sheppard.

Music for The Glass Menagerie was a commissioned by Peach Theatre Company.

Performance Note

The composition of this music began with a rehearsal in which I sat in and watched the play, then worked out where I would begin and end music cues with approximate timings. Then during a technical rehearsal when the recordings were first put to action, Jesse Peach often changed where cues began or substituted one cue for another similar. Almost invariably his judgement was good. Consequently, any future use of this music with the play may be adjusted at the director’s discretion.

This is a grand right work. Permission for performance must be obtained from the copyright holders. Please contact Anthony Young via the contacts page for information.

Audio

Recording of The Theme from The Glass Menagerie performed by Coralie Usmani.