WOUNDED KNEE

The Wounded Knee massacre occured on 29 December 1890. It was a tragic historical event that caused the death of more than 350 innocent Native Americans of the Miniconjou tribe of the Lakota Sioux. The 7th Cavalry Regiment, led by Colonel James W. Forsyth, intercepted this Native group, which consisted primarily of women and children, and escorted them to the Wounded Knee Creek Valley. The epilogue of the event was one of the largest and saddest tragedies in American history. While reading the book by Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, which tells precisely this terrible story, the composer started thinkig about a soundtrack that could describe the dramatic events in question. The composition, strongly descriptive and emotional, is divided into three sections, in which a melody, derived from the folk song “Land of the Silver Birch” is varied and developed as follows: 1) An imaginary Ghost Dance in 7/8 meant to comfort and reassure the Native Americans. 2) A sudden change of scenery portrays the dramatic succession of strokes of rifles and machine guns shooting against the defenseless Native Americans. 3) A sad final chorale wants to be a prayer to commemorate the many innocent victims of that terrible massacre.