Published: 2005
Publisher: Southern Music Company
Duration: 10:40
Grade: 5
Difficulty: Difficult
The Music embraces Roosevelt’s quest for glory signified by bugle calls throughout the piece. Even in the slow section that begins with the loss of his first wife, he is haunted by the “calls”, always there, always calling him to greater deeds. The short third section reflects the short war in Cuba, and the American victory achieved in the San Juan hills. The fourth section begins quickly (as did his political life after the war) sequencing from Governor to Vice President to finally, upon the assassination of McKinley, “The Presidency”. The piece in a mad dash to the end, capsules Roosevelt’s, fiery temperament, rapid speaking style, and his ever-consuming desire to live life to the fullest. There is a short four note motive sounded throughout the piece reminding Roosevelt, and all of us, regardless of deeds, life is short “so hurry, make your place in history!”
"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt