Program Note

Commissioned by Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for Clara Schumann’s 200th birth year, the title of this piece, I do not want horses or diamonds, comes from a letter Clara Schumann wrote to Richard Schumann early on in their courtship. In this letter, Clara was remarking that all she wanted was a simple and happy life with Richard, not one in which she needed to be spoiled or surrounded by expensive things—much to her father’s dismay. To evoke that desired simplicity, I use a single chord progression from Clara Schumann’s Romance No. 1 for violin and piano as the sole harmony and focal point of my piece. – Sarah Gibson