| The Wound-Dresser | |
|---|---|
| by John Adams | |
 | |
| Style | Postminimalism |
| Commissioned by | Carillon Importers on behalf of Absolut Vodka, with assistance from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra through a gift from Daniel and Constance Kunin |
| Text | "The Wound-Dresser" (Walt Whitman, 1865) |
| Composed | 1988 |
| Duration | about 20 minutes |
| Scoring | Chamber orchestra and baritone singer |
| Premiere | |
| Date | 24 February 1989 |
| Location | St Paul, Minnesota |
| Conductor | John Adams |
| Performers | Sanford Sylvan (baritone) Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra |
The Wound-Dresser is a piece for chamber orchestra and baritone singer by composer John Adams. The piece is an elegiac setting of excerpts from American poet Walt Whitman's poem "The Wound-Dresser" (1865) [1] about his experience as a hospital volunteer during the American Civil War. [2]
It was written for baritone singer Sanford Sylvan, who premiered it on 24 February 1989 in St Paul, Minnesota, with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer. [3] [4] It was subsequently recorded by the same forces for Nonesuch Records. [5] Interpreters who have performed and recorded it since have included Thomas Hampson, [6] Nathan Gunn, [7] Jeremy Huw Williams, [8] and Christopher Maltman. [9]
In 2011, the Oregon Symphony performed and recorded the composition for Music for a Time of War . [10] [11]
