The Mulholland Suite for Orchestra
I've read half a dozen books about William Mulholland. While the story of Mulholland is told over and over by many authors, Rivers in the Desert, by Margaret Leslie Davis, tells the story like a movie, and was responsible in inspiring my imagination to tell the Mulholland Story through music. |
The Mulholland Suite for Orchestra is the story of William Mulholland (Chief Engineer of the Los Angeles Aquaduct), and the history of Los Angeles. The epic history is told through an eight movement symphonic suite of music. The music is for the people of Southern California, to build awareness, pride in local history, and to unify a diverse population of 24 million Southern Californians with an appreciation for the great city of Los Angeles.
On July 11, 1922, Alfred Hertz, also known as the "Father of the Bowl," conducted the inaugural concert of the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. Present at this historic first concert was William Mulholland himself. It is the goal of the composer Colin Sprigg, to one day in the future have his symphonic music in honor of William Mulholland performed at the bowl. Movements 1-8
I. The Los Angeles River II. The Owens Valley (Award Winner) III. Vow to Thee My City of Angels IV. The Rainmakers V. Schemes, Bonds, and City Boosters VI. Building Mulholland's Great Ditch VII. Water Wars to Saint Francis VIII. The Blood of the Soil (Award Winner) |
RIVERS IN THE DESERT, MARGARET LESLIE DAVIS
The rise and fall of William Mulholland, and the story of L.A.’s disastrous dam collapse: “A dramatic saga of ambition, politics, money and betrayal” (Los Angeles Daily News).
Rivers in the Desert follows the remarkable career of William Mulholland, the visionary who engineered the rise of Los Angeles as the greatest American city west of the Mississippi. He sought to transform the sparse and barren desert into an inhabitable environment by designing the longest aqueduct in the Western Hemisphere, bringing water from the mountains to support a large city.
This “fascinating history” chronicles Mulholland’s dramatic ascension to wealth and fame—followed by his tragic downfall after the sudden collapse of the dam he had constructed to safeguard the water supply (Newsweek). The disaster, which killed at least five hundred people, caused his repudiation by allies, friends, and a previously adoring community. Epic in scope, Rivers in the Desert chronicles the history of Los Angeles and examines the tragic fate of the man who rescued it.
“An arresting biography of William Mulholland, the visionary Los Angeles Water Department engineer . . . [his] personal and public dramas make for gripping reading.” --Publishers Weekly
“A fascinating look at the political maneuvering and engineering marvels that moved the City of Angels into the first rank of American cities.” --Booklist
The rise and fall of William Mulholland, and the story of L.A.’s disastrous dam collapse: “A dramatic saga of ambition, politics, money and betrayal” (Los Angeles Daily News).
Rivers in the Desert follows the remarkable career of William Mulholland, the visionary who engineered the rise of Los Angeles as the greatest American city west of the Mississippi. He sought to transform the sparse and barren desert into an inhabitable environment by designing the longest aqueduct in the Western Hemisphere, bringing water from the mountains to support a large city.
This “fascinating history” chronicles Mulholland’s dramatic ascension to wealth and fame—followed by his tragic downfall after the sudden collapse of the dam he had constructed to safeguard the water supply (Newsweek). The disaster, which killed at least five hundred people, caused his repudiation by allies, friends, and a previously adoring community. Epic in scope, Rivers in the Desert chronicles the history of Los Angeles and examines the tragic fate of the man who rescued it.
“An arresting biography of William Mulholland, the visionary Los Angeles Water Department engineer . . . [his] personal and public dramas make for gripping reading.” --Publishers Weekly
“A fascinating look at the political maneuvering and engineering marvels that moved the City of Angels into the first rank of American cities.” --Booklist