Sunshine and Shadow (Four Tone Pictures, No. 1)

Dudley Buck (March 10, 1839 – October 6, 1909) was an American composer, organist, and writer on music. He published several books, most notably the Dictionary of Musical Terms and Influence of the Organ in History, which was published in New York City in 1882. He is best known today for his organ composition, Concert Variations on the Star-Spangled Banner, Op. 23, which was later arranged into an orchestral version.

Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Buck was the son of a merchant who gave him every opportunity to cultivate his musical talents. After attending Trinity College, he studied in Leipzig at the Leipzig Conservatory where he was a pupil of Louis Plaidy. He then pursued further studies in Dresden and Paris. On returning to America he held positions of organist in Hartford, Chicago, and Boston. In 1875 Buck went to New York City to assist Theodore Thomas as conductor of orchestral concerts, and from 1877 to 1902 was organist at Holy Trinity Church in Brooklyn. By this time he had become well known as a composer and virtuoso organist.

"Sunshine and Shadow" was published by Schirmer in 1891 as the first of "Four Tone Pictures." It is dedicated to the Brooklyn organist and composer, R. Hungtington Woodman (1861-1943), a former student of Buck, and organist of the First Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn from 1880-1941.

The work is quite substantial, and definitely Germanic in its musical foundation. It depicts the joy or "sunshine" of life, passing through a variety of scenes. There really isn't much "shadow" in it, until the grand climax is interrupted by a sudden "Adagio, quasi marcia funebre." However, the opening motto about "newborn life" is shown in the rather surprising ending.

The opening motto reads:

"In ever varying guise runs on the life of man, Now sunshine, now shadow to it close: Then death - then life newborn."

The score is attached below, as well as several photos of Buck, and of R. H. Woodman, and some of First Presbyterian Church.