Piccolo
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
20th century
21st century
Solo repertoire
Piccolo
Alto flute
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Daugherty Michael
Adler, Samuel
Andersen, Joachim
Auric, Georges
Baksa, Andreas
Beaser, Robert
Benshoof, Ken
Boisson, Felix
Bonnisseau, Frédéric
Chamberlain, Nicole
Damase, Jean-Michel
Daugherty, Michael
Dehnhard, Tilmann
Donatoni, Franco
Dorff, Daniel
Harberg, Amanda
Huylebroeck, Jan
Jacob, Gordon
Janáček, Leoš
Koechlin, Charles
Krek, Uroš
Lavista, Mario
Liebermann, Lowell
Loeb, David
Mălăncioiu, Gabriel
Martinů, Bohuslav
Meltzer, Harold
Morlacchi, Pietro
Mower, Mike
Musgrave, Thea
Papandopulo, Boris
Persichetti, Vincent
Poulenc, Francis
Reichert, Matthieu Andre
Rotaru, Doina
Schocker, Gary
Silva, Pattápio
Smith, Matt
Vivaldi, Antonio
Wilder, Alec
Yun, Isang
"The High and The Mighty" for piccolo and piano
"The High and The Mighty" for piccolo and piano
Michael Daugherty: "The High and The Mighty" for piccolo and piano was written in 2000. It was commissioned by the National Flute Association (NFA) and dedicated to the memory of John Krell (1917–1999), the legendary solo piccoloist of the Philadelphia Orchestra for 30 years and author of the influential book 20th Century Orchestral Studies for Flute. The world premiere took place on August 19, 2000, at the NFA Convention in Columbus, Ohio. It was performed by Jan Gippo (solo piccolo of the St. Louis Symphony) and pianist Patti Wolf.
The title is a reference to the 1954 film The High and the Mighty (starring John Wayne), reflecting Daugherty’s fascination with 1950s American iconography. He wanted to capture the "glamour and danger" of early commercial flight, which he felt matched the piccolo's piercing, adventurous character.
The piece consists of two contrasting movements:
1. (Slow): Atmospheric and lyrical, featuring flutter-tonguing and wide intervals that evoke the vastness of the sky.
2. (Fast): A rhythmic, jazz-influenced "high-altitude bossa nova" that demands extreme technical agility and "swing" feel.
In 2000, Daugherty was also serving as the Composer-in-Residence with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, a period during which he was bridging the gap between "concert hall" music and "vernacular" American jazz and pop.
Vanja Šćepanović (piano), live recording on February 5, 2020 at the Belgrade Philharmonic Hall
"The High and The Mighty"
Alessandro Tardino (piano), live recording on June 7, 2005 at Tetro Magnolfi in Prato, Italy, Nicola Mazzanti / CDBaby
"The High and The Mighty"
Daugherty Michael
Michael Daugherty (1954) is one of the most performed and commissioned American composers of his generation, widely recognized for his "Pop Art" aesthetic that translates American cultural icons and history into sophisticated concert music.
Born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Daugherty grew up in a remarkably musical family. His father was a dance-band drummer, and his mother was an amateur singer. All four of his brothers became professional musicians. From 1963 to 1972, Daugherty was a professional jazz pianist, performing in dance bands and lounge acts across the Midwest.
He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) from Yale University, studying with Jacob Druckman and Bernard Rands. He also studied at IRCAM in Paris and spent two years in Hamburg as a protégé of György Ligeti. Since 1991, he has been a Professor of Composition at the University of Michigan.
Daugherty is famous for his "Post-Modern" approach, in which he takes subjects like Superman (Metropolis Symphony), Elvis (Dead Elvis), and Rosa Parks (Letters from Lincoln) and reinterprets them through a classical lens. He is a multiple Grammy Award winner, with his albums Metropolis Symphony (2011) and Tales of Hemingway (2017).
Daugherty has been described as a composer who "democratizes the orchestra." By blending Stravinsky's neoclassicism with the energy of rock and jazz. He has become a central figure in the movement to make contemporary orchestral music relevant to 21st-century audiences.