[2] The piece was inspired by the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which claimed the lives of 146 New York City garment workers—most of whom were young immigrant women—in 1911, and the political unrest surrounding it.
[1] Reviewing the world premiere, Anthony Tommasini of The New York Times described Fire in my mouth as "ambitious, heartfelt, [and] often compelling," adding, "The big things are right in this tautly structured 60-minute piece in four parts."
He described Wolfe's selection of texts as showing "great sensitivity" and her use of girls' and women's chorus as adding an "affecting touch."
"[6] David Wright of the New York Classical Review also praised Wolfe's music, despite criticizing its narrative and some of the work's visual elements, which he described as "Ken Burns-style pan-and-scan of old photos, plus some rather obvious effects (ocean waves for the immigrants' trip, smoke tendrils for the fire)."
Wright concluded, "As an evocation of these young women's aspirations and the terrible thing that happened to them, Fire in my mouth was powerful and effective.