The Spanish Trail Suite DVD
Performance (The four movements in the suite)
The Sunrise beckons the dawn of the Old Spanish Trail. It glorifies the golden
presence of the land and the lives of the Native Americans who opened the first trails. Soar
through the mountains and valleys on the back of an eagle, dance to the roar of drums by the fire
and slowly let the beat carry you into the night.
Rise to the Rainstorm and witness the seemingly merciless nature of the land and how
it affected the people who followed the trail. Through time-lapse photography witness the heavy
clouds that brought powerful storms and opened the sky to restore the earth and the spirits of its
travelers.
Marcha exemplifies the long and arduous route taken by the trail through the
mountains and plains of the Southwest. The plodding dusty paths and rocky ground can be felt
in the weariness of the Spanish trader depicted in this piece.
Celebration introduces the pioneers and brings together all that the Old Spanish Trail encompasses. From Native Americans to the pioneers who carved the trail, its untamed beauty, power, and unforgiving lands equally shaped the people who embarked on its routes. More than a road, it was a way of life and the heart of the American West.
Bonus Features
- Commentary audio track with Col. Al Matheson, Old Spanish Trail Historian
- The Old Spanish Trail – An Historical Perspective video
- Interview with the composers Marshall McDonald and Steven Sharp Nelson and OSU conductor, Xun Sun
- Slideshow of rarely seen petroglyphs, pictographs, untouched landscapes and photographs from the 19th century
- The making of the Spanish Trail Suite featurette
- Trailers and Previews
The Spanish Trail Suite was composed by Marshall McDonald & Steven Sharp Nelson
Performed by the Orchestra of Southern Utah and Conducted by Xun Sun
Audio Recording by Ken Hedgecock
The Spanish Trail Suite was commissioned by the The Orchestra of Southern Utah
(OSU) with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Eccles and
Gardner Foundations.
