Higdon described her inspiration for the piece in the score program notes, writing:"Loco" celebrates the Centennial season of Ravinia, and the train that accompanies the orchestra.
And in a truly ironic move for a composer, my brain subtracted the word "motive", leaving "loco", which means crazy.
[1]The work is scored for an orchestra comprising two flutes, piccolo, three oboes, three clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four French horns, three trumpets, three trombones, tuba, piano, timpani, three percussionists, and strings.
[3] Scott Cantrell of The Dallas Morning News similarly called it "seven minutes of high-energy scurries, clatters, chatters, jabs, chugs and fanfares.
He added:The work is less technically descriptive than, say, Arthur Honegger's seminal Pacific 231, but it metaphorically captures the thrill of both being on a powerful train and watching one go by, alternating between both views (complete with wonderful Doppler effect brass calls).