The world premiere will be Jan. 24.

By Guy D’Astolfo

The world premiere will be Jan. 24.

Snap the Whip.” “Lincoln the Railsplitter.” “Bridal Veil Falls.”

These paintings — each a signature work in the Butler Institute of American Art’s collection — have captured the imagination of countless viewers.

Now they also serve as inspiration for a newly commissioned orchestral composition that will have its world premiere at the Jan. 24 Youngstown Symphony Orchestra concert at Powers Auditorium.

“Impressions at the Butler” by composer Gregory Prechel is believed to be the YSO’s first musical commission.

Prechel, of California, has composed and arranged dozens of works for symphony orchestras and provided music for television series and movies.

He spent several days at the Butler last April to absorb the artwork.

“I practically lived at the museum for a number of days,” Prechel said. “[Executive Director] Lou Zona gave me a personal tour, and I got a pretty good feel for the whole collection.

“I started writing themes on the pieces that struck me the most. Then I realized I had way too much material. The challenge was to select which ones to use. I ended up with eight movements for the 25-minute composition.”

Patricia Syak, director of the Youngstown Symphony Society, said that to the best of her knowledge, “Impressions at the Butler” is the first major piece of music the YSO has ever commissioned. Zona said it’s the first time the museum’s works have been set to original music.

The whole notion of commissioning music began about a year ago with Randall Craig Fleischer, music director of the Youngstown Symphony. Fleischer steered the process, while a group of volunteers going by the name of Nouvelle Music helped raise money to fund it.

“I love the Butler and think it’s one of the jewels of Youngstown,” said Fleischer. “I also think it’s important for arts organizations to collaborate. There’s a really famous piece in the symphonic repertoire titled ‘Pictures at an Exhibition,’ so I thought it would be cool for the YSO to create a new ‘Pictures,’ shining a musical light on the wonderful collection at the Butler.”

Selecting Prechel wasn’t a hard decision for Fleischer, who had collaborated with the composer in the past.

“I chose Greg because he’s a highly accomplished composer and arranger working mostly in film and media music,” said Fleischer. “I knew he would write something beautiful, dramatic and compelling, yet easy to enjoy. Boy has he delivered! The piece really works — works very, very well! It’s exactly what I wanted and I really think our audience is going to love it.”

Prechel has an impressive r sum in creating scores. He has composed, conducted, arranged and worked as recording consultant for several television shows, including the NBA All Star Game (2006), “The Simpsons,” “Futurama,” “King of the Hill,” “American Idol,” “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” His compositions have appeared in many films, including “Scary Movie 4” and several Disney “Air Bud” movies.

He composed, arranged and orchestrated many years for Walt Disney Co. theme parks, working on videos, shows and parades.

He also has been commissioned to compose and arrange more than 60 works for symphony orchestras, including the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops, Houston Symphony, Long Beach Symphony, Atlanta Symphony and the Buffalo Philharmonic.

Prechel’s work for the YSO marked the first time he used a museum collection as source material, but it wasn’t a stretch for him.

“I’m used to using visual images for inspiration, as in film scores,” he said.

Still, the Butler left an impression on him. “It is an overwhelming place,” he said. “You can’t focus on just a few things. There are so many great pieces.”

Prechel will return to Youngstown next week to rehearse with the YSO. “If there are any questions of interpretation or minor changes I want to make at the time, I will be there.”

But he has full confidence in Fleischer and the orchestra. “Randall is such a good musician,” he said. “I find that if you have a good conductor, it’s best to just sit back and let them interpret. It often turns out even better than what I had envisioned.”

Prechel will be on hand for the premiere performance at Powers Auditorium, but he will not play an instrument.

As Fleischer put it, “Greg’s only job will be to take a bow at the end!”