Concert Piece

When Elizabeth Short moved to Los Angeles in the 1940's to pursue a career in Hollywood she had dreams of becoming the next biggest movie star. However, she would only achieve fame in death.
In the evening of January 15 1947, Short's naked corpse was found in a park cut in half and drained of blood. She had been violently mutilated and a joker's smile was carved on her face. The case was nicknamed "The Black Dahlia" by the press after 1946 flim noir and her murder went on to be one of the most frightening yet confusing stories of that time.
The unsolved case and the details surrounding it have had an everlasting cultural intrigue, creating many theories and public speculation. Her life and death have been the basis of numerous books and films, and her murder is frequenctly cited as one of the most famous unsolved murders in American history.

The Black Dahlia was inspired by this very case with the piece reciprocating the thoughts and actions of the time. The composition is a violent and uneasy piece of music, which details the murder of Elizabeth Short in her final moments. The composition is in four sections. The first is frantic and rapid, which details the initial chase between Short and the murderer. The second is much slower in pace; representing the life and blood draining out of the 22 year old's body. The next section is based on the shocking stabs and anger from the attacker onto the body with the final section repeating earlier material, describing the vile thoughts of the villian and their sudden moment of panic.

Difficulty: 6/6

Duration: 6 Minutes 20

Instrumentation: Cornet, Tenor Horn, Baritone & Euphonium.