Grand Canyon Suite

The Grand Canyon Suite is a suite for orchestra by Ferde Grofé, composed between 1929 and 1931. It was initially titled Five Pictures of the Grand Canyon.^[1]

It consists of five movements, each an evocation in tone of a particular scene typical of the Grand Canyon. Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra gave the first public performance of the work, in concert at the Studebaker Theatre in Chicago on November 22, 1931.^[2]

Grofe, in 1937, described the genesis of his piece: "Although I was born in New York City, I lost all consciousness of being a New Yorker at the age of five. From that age till a few years ago, I lived in California....In writing 'Grand Canyon Suite' I drew from notes I had made during my constant visits to the rim of the mighty work of nature. I had watched the Canyon in all seasons, in all its moods. And my findings were on paper, notes in hieroglyphics that were later transcribed into musical notes."^[3]

^ Moore, Edward. "Paul Whiteman Gets Big Hand for This Concert." Chicago Tribune, 23 November 1931, 21.
^ "Chicago Hails Grofe Suite: Whiteman Presents Premiere of 'Grand Canyon Suite'." New York Times, 23 November 1931, 25.
^ Grofe, Ferde. "My Own New York City: Grofe Reveals Secrets—Always Has Notes—Tribute to Gershwin." Cohoes (NY) American, 6 August 1937, 4.

[1] Moore, Edward. "Paul Whiteman Gets Big Hand for This Concert." Chicago Tribune, 23 November 1931, 21.

[2] "Chicago Hails Grofe Suite: Whiteman Presents Premiere of 'Grand Canyon Suite'." New York Times, 23 November 1931, 25.

[3] Grofe, Ferde. "My Own New York City: Grofe Reveals Secrets—Always Has Notes—Tribute to Gershwin." Cohoes (NY) American, 6 August 1937, 4.

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