A Heckuva Job
(2007) 13 min.
baritone, guitar, percussion
Text by Calvin Trillin
Premiere
January 29, 2007
Speculum Musicae:
Patrick Mason, baritone; David Starobin, guitar; Daniel Druckman, percussion
Merkin Hall, New York
Movements
I. Hunky-Dory In Iraq
II. The President's Measured Response To Criticism Of His Secret Domestic Spying Operation
III. Cheney Says Iraqi Insurgents Are In Final Throes
IV. Farewell, Colin Powell
V. Further Words From George W. Bush
After He Said To Fema Chief Michael Brown,
“Brownie, You're Doing A Heckuva Job.”
I Dreamt That George W. Bush Adopted
James Frey's Three-Step Program-
Denial, Larry King, And Oprah-
To Get To The Truth About The War In Iraq
VI. Step One: At first, when people said he'd lied,
VII. Step Two: This Larry King's a friendly sort,
VIII. Step Three: Our Oprah, stern-faced, draws applause
Notes
I was pleased to be asked by David Starobin to write a piece for baritone, guitar, and percussion, to be premiered this evening by Speculum Musicae. While casting about for a text to set, I happened to hear Calvin Trillin read excerpts of his latest book, “A Heckuva Job,” on the radio. His lines about the Bush administration were concise, insightful, infuriating, and hysterically funny. In short, they begged to be set to music, right then.
×