Anthracite Fields Tickets

Anthracite Fields is a Pulitzer Prize-winning oratorio composed by Julia Wolfe in 2014. The composition explores the lives of coal miners in Pennsylvania during the Industrial Revolution, and how their labor had an impact on the environment, economy, and culture. Despite being a contemporary piece, Anthracite Fields has been hailed as a modern-day work of classical music.

Classical music is often defined as music that follows the traditions and structures of Western art music from the Middle Ages to present times. These traditions include a focus on melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre, as well as standardized forms like sonatas, symphonies, and concertos. However, classical music is not limited to these characteristics, and modern compositions like Anthracite Fields have challenged conventional definitions of the genre.

One way that Anthracite Fields relates to traditional classical music is through the use of choral singing. Chorales are hymns or songs sung by a choir in unison, and they were often used in classical works as a means of expressing communal emotions or religious themes. In Anthracite Fields, Wolfe incorporates both historical texts and oral histories of coal miners into the libretto, which is then sung by a chorus of voices. This creates a feeling of solidarity amongst the miners and serves to amplify their struggles and triumphs.

Additionally, Anthracite Fields employs orchestration, another hallmark of classical music. The piece features string instruments such as violins, violas, cellos, and double basses, as well as brass and woodwinds. Wolfe uses the sounds of these instruments to evoke the sounds of the mines themselves, with deep, rumbling bass lines and sharp, metallic accents evoking the clang of machinery and the creaking of mine carts. This use of sound to create a sense of place and atmosphere is common in classical music, where composers often strive to transport listeners to other worlds or times.

Finally, the structure of Anthracite Fields is also reminiscent of classical musical forms. Wolfe divided the piece into five movements, each exploring a different aspect of the coal mining industry and its impact on society. This mirrors the use of movements in symphonies, which are usually separated by pauses and explore different themes or motifs. However, Wolfe also draws from more contemporary musical styles, such as rock and folk music, particularly in her use of electric guitar and folk instruments like the hammer dulcimer.

In conclusion, Anthracite Fields is a striking example of how contemporary composers can utilize the techniques and structures of classical music to create moving, relevant works of art. By using choral singing, orchestration, and formal structures, Wolfe creates a sense of unity and grandeur that echoes the soaring heights of traditional classical works, while also incorporating modern musical vocabularies to center the experiences of marginalized communities. Through this synthesis of old and new, Anthracite Fields illustrates how classical music continues to be alive and resonant in the 21st century.