And I Always Thought

The day that Australian and New Zealand forces joined the Allies for an invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula of Turkey in World War I, with disastrous consequences, is celebrated in Australia as Anzac Day (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps). To honor this special day, Bresnick takes inspiration from two selected poems by Bertolt Brecht (And I Always Thought and Legend of the Unknown Soldier Beneath the Triumphal Arch). "Commissioned to commemorate Australia's Anzac Day, similar to Memorial Day, and inspired by two Brecht poems...The somber opening violin and clarinet lines unfolded to haunting effect before eventually reaching a fervent climax." --Vivien Schweitzer, The NewYork Times