The University of Utah Philharmonia performed the world premiere of “Cool Night” by American composer Lawrence Dillon on September 16, 2010. A consortium of orchestras, including The Idyllwild Arts Academy Orchestra, the Salt Lake Symphony, the Boise Philharmonic, the Mansfield Symphony and the University of Utah Philharmonia commissioned the Schumann Trilogy to celebrate the bicentennial of Robert Schumann’s birth in 2010.
It is comprised of three pieces — Figments and Fragments, Cool Night and Genealogie — which can be performed together or separately. Cool Night is the second part of the trilogy. Cool Night imagines the characters of Florestan and Eusebius beside Schumann’s deathbed, trying to make sense of their creator’s madness and decline. The part of Florestan is portrayed by a combination of tenor and actor. The part of Eusebius is sung by an otherworldly trio of soprano, mezzo and alto. The composer was in attendance for the premiere.