Herman Whitfield III’s Scherzo No. 1
Notes by TŌN flutist Olivia Chaikin
A Child Prodigy
Herman Whitfield III was born in 1982 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Whitfield was a talented young man, beginning to play the piano at the age of four and composing symphonic works and operas by the age of eight. For many years he was mentored by Dr. William Curry, Music Director of the Durham Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Curry wrote, “when I saw Herman’s music I knew he was indeed a musical genius. And so a few months later I conducted the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra in the premiere of his Scherzo No. 2.” Whitfield went on to pursue dual degrees in political science and piano performance at Oberlin Conservatory, and later received a master’s degree in piano performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music.
In Memory of Herman Whitfield III
Herman Whitfield III was only 39 years old when he tragically died. On April 25, 2022, Whitfield experienced a mental health crisis, prompting his mother to call for an ambulance. Instead, six Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived. Without provocation, they tasered Whitfield, tackled him, and handcuffed him. He suffocated face down for about five minutes before becoming motionless. The coroner later ruled that the IMPD had killed Herman. For more information about the ongoing trials of the officers and to support Whitfield’s family, please visit justice4herman3rd.org. Dr. Curry is planning to continue to perform and publish Whitfield’s music in his memory.
A Complex Scherzo
Herman Whitfield III wrote his Scherzo No. 1 for orchestra early on in his career. For a young composer, it proves to be a very complex work, reminiscent of Sibelius with traces of Tchaikovsky, Verdi, and Beethoven. It alternates between dramatic chords and sweeping dotted rhythms in a quick 3/8 meter with a beautiful pastorale section in the middle reminiscent of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony. Light, natural woodwind solos and chorales are played over beautiful harmonies in the strings. The tranquility is quickly interrupted by the return of the earlier chords to bring the listener to the recap, like lightning striking a forest. A brief moment of silence occurs before the final coda, which uses flurries of string scales and brass fanfares to end the piece with more drama than the beginning. Dr. Curry writes, “Herman had a melodic gift and an innate sense of structure. In short: he had what you cannot teach. It’s impossible to know what his future music would have been like.”