Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

Peanuts Gallery

In 1990; Charles M. Schulz saluted Zwilich in the Peanuts strip for her flute concerto. This led to a fast friendship between the two talents and Zwilich's masterwork Peanuts Gallery; a six-movement piano concerto; each movement illustrates a favorite character from the comic strip. Florida State University produced a documentary; also featured on PBS; of the collaboration that led to the creation of Peanuts Gallery. The DVD is a fascinating documentary on the making of Peanuts Gallery; featuring interviews with Charles M. Schulz; Jean (Mrs. Charles M.) Schulz; and composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich about their creative processes. The video also features a live performance by the Florida State University Orchestra with piano soloist James Nalley; conducted by Alex Jimenez (including Snoopy dancing the Samba!).