Format : Octavo
SKU: CF.BE24
ISBN 9781491156780. UPC: 680160915323. 9 x 12 inches. La.
Based on Wallace Stevens' poem The Planet on the Table this string quartet's world is made of the music and sounds of remembered times or of something heard that the composer, Martin Bresnick, liked. The quartet has five movements, each headed by a quotation from one of Stevens' poems as a point of departure or pathway into those remembered sounds and music. What matters is that my music, like his (Stevens') poetry, should bear some lineament or character, some affluence, if only half perceived in the poverty of its sounds, of the planet of which it was part..Wallace Stevens' poem The Planet on the Table begins - Ariel was glad he had written his poems, They were of a remembered time Or of something seen that he liked. In this string quartet, also entitled The Planet on the Table, my planet is made of the music and sounds of a remembered time or of something heard that I liked. The quartet has five movements, each headed by a quotation from one of Stevens' poems* as a point of departure or pathway into those remembered sounds and music: I. Mrs. Anderson's Swedish Baby II. She Measured the Hour III. Scene 10 Becomes 11 IV. Someone Has Walked Across the Snow V. His Self and the Sun Like Stevens, my self and the sun are one, and my music, like his poetry, although makings of my self, is also makings of the sun. Stevens wrote it was not important that his poetry survive, which is also true of my work. What matters is that my music, like his poetry, should bear some lineament or character, some affluence, if only half perceived in the poverty of its sounds, of the planet of which it was part. *Sources for the titles: I. The Pleasures of Merely Circulating II. The Idea of Order at Key West III. Chaos in Motion and Not in Motion IV. Vacancy in the Park V. The Planet on the Table.Wallace Stevens' poem The Planet on the Table begins -Ariel was glad he had written his poems,They were of a remembered timeOr of something seen that he liked.In this string quartet, also entitled The Planet on the Table, my planet is made of the music and sounds of a remembered time or of something heard that I liked.The quartet has five movements, each headed by a quotation from one of Stevens' poems* as a point of departure or pathway into those remembered sounds and music:I. Mrs. Anderson's Swedish BabyII. She Measured the HourIII. Scene 10 Becomes 11IV. Someone Has Walked Across the SnowV. His Self and the SunLike Stevens, my self and the sun are one, and my music, like his poetry, although makings of my self, is also makings of the sun. Stevens wrote it was not important that his poetry survive, which is also true of my work.What matters is that my music, like his poetry, should bear some lineament or character, some affluence, if only half perceived in the poverty of its sounds, of the planet of which it was part.*Sources for the titles:I. The Pleasures of Merely CirculatingII. The Idea of Order at Key WestIII. Chaos in Motion and Not in MotionIV. Vacancy in the ParkV. The Planet on the Table.
SKU: CF.YAS182
ISBN 9781491151471. UPC: 680160908974. 9 x 12 inches. Key: G major.
The title, Live On, by Larry Clark, is taken from Chrissie Pinney's poem about grief and loss. The piece is meant to depict the personality of Linda Mann, to whom it is dedicated. The opening is poignant and pensive, followed by a whimsical theme which alludes to happy thoughts of a life well-lived. The piece builds to a triumphant?conclusion based on an augmented version of the theme.
Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017. Linda Manns impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.
In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should depict Lindas personality - dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like. They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.
After contemplating their thoughts, I did some research to find inspiration for the piece. This led me to poetry about grief and loss. In time, I stumbled upon a short, yet poignant poem that I felt perfectly depicted the sentiment that I wanted the piece to convey. That poem is entitled Live On by Chrissie Pinney.
Live On
Now as I live on
Without you
I hope to keep
The pieces of you
That I loved so dearly
Your mannerisms
And compassionate character
And smiles through struggle
So that you
May live on too
-Chrissie Pinney
I reached out to Ms. Pinney, and she graciously agreed to allow me to quote her powerful poem in these notes. She expressed that she was deeply touched that her work would inspire me to write a piece in honor of Linda Mann.
The piece begins with a poignant, pensive opening section. The use of the musical interval of a tritone between the first two openly voiced chords are used to represent the sadness we all feel from this type of loss. When I sat in front of my piano and started to work on this piece, my hands seemed to naturally and immediately play these first two chords, which set the process in motion of composing the piece.
After the somber opening, the piece shifts to a whimsical theme that I hope brings about happy thoughts of Linda and her personality. It was also my intent, however, to include some musical dissonance in the theme that still reflected the bittersweet loss at the same time. The piece develops into a secondary theme that is a quasi inversion of the main fast theme. This section is followed by a return of the opening material, with snippets of the fast theme intertwined, before the piece builds to a triumphant, augmented presentation of the main theme in a lush form to complete the work.
It is my hope that in some small way, this piece will bring comfort to those affected by the loss of Linda Mann, and that the music will allow her memory to Live On.
Larry Clark
Lakeland, FL 2017
Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017.A Linda Mannas impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.
In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should adepict Lindaas personality - dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like.a They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.
After contemplating their thoughts, I did some research to find inspiration for the piece. This led me to poetry about grief and loss. In time, I stumbled upon a short, yet poignant poem that I felt perfectly depicted the sentiment that I wanted the piece to convey.A That poem is entitled Live On by Chrissie Pinney.
A
I reached out to Ms. Pinney, and she graciously agreed to allow me to quote her powerful poem in these notes.A She expressed that she was deeply touched that her work would inspire me to write a piece in honor of Linda Mann.
After the somber opening, the piece shifts to a whimsical theme that I hope brings about happy thoughts of Linda and her personality. It was also my intent, however, to include some musical dissonance in the theme that still reflected the bittersweet loss at the same time.A The piece develops into a secondary theme that is a quasi inversion of the main fast theme.A This section is followed by a return of the opening material, with snippets of the fast theme intertwined, before the piece builds to a triumphant, augmented presentation of the main theme in a lush form to complete the work.
aLarry Clark
Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017. Linda Mann's impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.
In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should depict Linda's personality - dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like. They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.
-Larry Clark
About Carl Fischer Young String Orchestra Series
This series of Grade 2/Grade 2.5 pieces is designed for second and third year ensembles. The pieces in this series are characterized by:--Occasionally extending to third position--Keys carefully considered for appropriate difficulty--Addition of separate 2nd violin and viola parts--Viola T.C. part included--Increase in independence of parts over beginning levels
SKU: CF.YAS182F
ISBN 9781491151846. UPC: 680160909346. 9 x 12 inches.
SKU: CF.CM9635
ISBN 9781491157077. UPC: 680160915637. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: E major. English, English. Abram Joseph Ryan (1838-1886).
Victor Johnson captures the mystery and nuance of the bittersweet poem, Wake Me a Song, by American poet, Abram Joseph Ryan. Nuance, text, and Johnson's rich harmonies paired with intertwining textures make this a noteworthy addition to any program. Also available for SATB Voices (CM9561).About the Author Abram Joseph Ryan was born Matthew Abraham Ryan on February 5, 1838 in Hagerstown, Maryland. As a young man, Ryan and his family moved west St. Louis, Missouri, where he was educated at the Christian Brothers School. He studied for the priesthood at Niagra University in New York State and was ordained a priest in the Vincentian order on November 1, 1856. He taught theology, first at Niagra university and then at the diocesan seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, until the beginning of the war between the states. Father Ryan enlisted in the army on September 1, 1862, and served as a chaplain throughout the conflict, carrying the wounded to safety and performing last rites on the battlefield. His first piece of poetry was inspired by the death of a younger brother while serving in the army. After the war, he established a weekly literary magazine in which most of his poetry was published. He also put out several volumes of poetry, including Father Ryan's Poems and A Crown for Our Queen. Father Ryan died on April 22, 1886 at a Franciscan monastery in Louisville, Kentucky. About the Song Wake Me A Song is an inspired and sensitive setting of the 19th-century poem by Abram Joseph Ryan. It features sweeping melodic lines, rich harmonies, and a flowingly beautiful accompaniment. To master a performance of this selection, singers must perform very expressively, paying close attention to such musical aspects as phrase shaping, the rise and fall of the melodic line, blending and proper intonation between sections. One strategy that could be used to ensure proper phrasing is the idea of Painting the Phrase. The singer should make a motion as if they have a paintbrush in their hand and paint the melodic line and phrase shape as if they are painting with a nice, flowing brush stroke. One could think about painting a rainbow or an arch to show the rise and fall of the line and/or phrase. The director can also show this gesture while conducting to reinforce this concept.About the AuthorAbram Joseph Ryan was born Matthew Abraham Ryan on February 5, 1838 in Hagerstown, Maryland. As a young man, Ryan and his family moved west St. Louis, Missouri, where he was educated at the Christian Brothers School. He studied for the priesthood at Niagra University in New York State and was ordained a priest in the Vincentian order on November 1, 1856. He taught theology, first at Niagra university and then at the diocesan seminary in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, until the beginning of the war between the states.Father Ryan enlisted in the army on September 1, 1862, and served as a chaplain throughout the conflict, carrying the wounded to safety and performing last rites on the battlefield. His first piece of poetry was inspired by the death of a younger brother while serving in the army. After the war, he established a weekly literary magazine in which most of his poetry was published. He also put out several volumes of poetry, including Father Ryan's Poems and A Crown for Our Queen. Father Ryan died on April 22, 1886 at a Franciscan monastery in Louisville, Kentucky.About the SongWake Me A Song is an inspired and sensitive setting of the 19th-century poem by Abram Joseph Ryan. It features sweeping melodic lines, rich harmonies, and a flowingly beautiful accompaniment.To master a performance of this selection, singers must perform very expressively, paying close attention to such musical aspects as phrase shaping, the rise and fall of the melodic line, blending and proper intonation between sections.One strategy that could be used to ensure proper phrasing is the idea of “Painting the Phrase.†The singer should make a motion as if they have a paintbrush in their hand and “paint†the melodic line and phrase shape as if they are painting with a nice, flowing brush stroke. One could think about painting a rainbow or an arch to show the rise and fall of the line and/or phrase. The director can also show this gesture while conducting to reinforce this concept.
SKU: CF.CM9706
ISBN 9781491160022. UPC: 680160918621. Key: D minor. English. Sara Teasdale, adapted by Meredith Tompkins.
Sara Teasdale was a celebrated American poet who lived at the turn of the twentieth century, known for her classical style and pure, openhearted writing. At the young age of twenty-three, she became a published author and went on to release a total of eight award-winning collections of poetry in her lifetime. Love-Free is a reflective poem that appears in Part I of Rivers to the Sea, published in 1915. In the text, the narrator experiences a range of emotions centering around lost love and the desire to either separate from or rekindle it. Reminiscent of an antique music box, the text is paired with a waltz-like accompaniment in a lilting 3/4 pattern. Melodic exploration of the natural minor scale is achieved through mostly step-wise motion and some carefully placed, text-painted leaps ranging from a minor third to a sixth. With some unison, SA, and SSA sections, this piece can show off the wide array of colors and textures available to treble choirs.Sara Teasdale was a celebrated American poet who lived at the turn of the twentieth century, known for her classical style and pure, openhearted writing. At the young age of twenty-three, she became a published author and went on to release a total of eight award-winning collections of poetry in her lifetime. Love-Free is a reflective poem that appears in Part I of Rivers to the Sea, published in 1915. In the text, the narrator experiences a range of emotions centering around lost love and the desire to either separate from or rekindle it. Reminiscent of an antique music box, the text is paired with a waltz-like accompaniment in a lilting 3/4 pattern. Melodic exploration of the natural minor scale is achieved through mostly step-wise motion and some carefully placed, text-painted leaps ranging from a minor third to a sixth. With some unison, SA, and SSA sections, this piece can show off the wide array of colors and textures available to treble choirs.
SKU: LO.AC0212
ISBN 9780893283797.
Activate! is an all-you-need resource for the K-6 classroom teacher. Each jam-packed compilation includes: songs to help students discover their voices; opportunities to utilize classroom instruments, from the traditional to the creative; folk dances and other movement activities; and pencil-to-paper games and activities addressing a variety of music concepts. Lesson plans are provided and a CD with numerous complementary recordings is included in each book. You want more? Okay. The National Standards for Music Education are referenced and all student pages are reproducible!
SKU: HL.50487684
ISBN 9790080136362. Bach (23 x 30,2 cm) inches. Hungarian, English. Nicolae Bretan.
Nicolae Bretan (1887-1968) was a great singer and composer who had the keys to create great lieder. He understood that the imagery of poetry deeply stirs the subconscious, that verbal images must be weighed and translated with precise yet unmeasurab le artistry into rhythm and harmony. Given songs that penetrate the listener's psyche, that arouse the listener's humanity, that increase the listener's sense of beauty, the singer has munch of his work already done for him. And the singer who sings Bretan is far ahead on the pathways to his audience's mind and heart. The listeners sense new doors onto vistas of order and beauty, torment and calm. This release of energy withinthe audience is the secret of art. Art is eternity's dialogue in whic h the listener participates, which the listener fills in with his own emotion, his own experience... Frederica von Stade Nicolae Bretan (1887-1968) war ein Sanger und Komponist der das Geheimnis der grossen Liedschopfung kannte. Erwusste, dass das poetische Bild das Unterbewusste zutiefst aufwuhlt, dass das poetische Wort mit praziser und vollendeter kunstlerischer Meisterschaft in Rhythmen und Harmonien verwandelt werden muss. Dadurch, dass diese Lieder in die Seele des Horers dringen, das Humane, in ihm erwecken, seinen Sinn fur Schonheit steigern, wird dem Sanger seine Arbeit erleichtert. Und der Interpret, der Bretan singt, befindet sich in jenen hohen Gefilden und auf Wegen die zum Herz und Verstand des Publikums fuhren. Seine Horer erahnen Pfade zu neuen Ordnungen undSchonheiten, zu Erregung und Stille. Dieser Ausbruch von Energien im Inneren des Zuhorers ist das Geheimnis der Kunst. Die Kunst ist der Dialog der Ewigkeit, an dem das Publikum teilnimmt, den es mit seinen eigenen Emotionen und Erfahrungen erganzt... Frederica von Stade.
SKU: CF.YPS212F
ISBN 9781491152997. UPC: 680160910496.
Taking its title from a poem about grief and loss by Chrissie Pinney, Live On honors the life of band director Linda Mann, to whom the piece is dedicated. The piece begins with a pensive intro before shifting to a whimsical theme that brings about happy thoughts of a life well-lived. After a return to the poignant opening material, the music surges to a triumphant conclusion based on an augmented version of the whimsical theme.Live On was commissioned by Diplomat Middle School's staff, faculty and students, in Cape Coral, Florida, and is dedicated to the memory of their Director of Bands, Linda Mann. Director of Orchestras, Roland Forti, championed the commissioning of this piece to honor the life of Linda after her untimely passing in February of 2017. Linda Mann’s impact on the field of music education was profound and wide-reaching. She was a beloved member of the staff at Diplomat Middle School, as well as the music community of Cape Coral and the state of Florida. Linda was highly respected throughout the state, serving as recent past-president of the Florida Bandmasters Association.In discussing the type of piece the school wanted to honor Ms. Mann, they indicated the piece should “depict Linda’s personality: dynamic, sassy, yet thoughtful and almost mentor-like.†They wanted a piece that was upbeat, yet still had moments that were thoughtful, portraying the grief that the Diplomat Middle School community has suffered from the sudden loss of such a beloved teacher.After contemplating their thoughts, I did some research to find inspiration for the piece. This led me to poetry about grief and loss. In time, I stumbled upon a short, yet poignant poem that I felt perfectly depicted the sentiment that I wanted the piece to convey. That poem is entitled Live On by Chrissie Pinney.Live OnNow as I live onWithout youI hope to keepThe pieces of youThat I loved so dearlyYour mannerismsAnd compassionate characterAnd smiles through struggleSo that youMay live on too -Chrissie PinneyI reached out to Ms. Pinney, and she graciously agreed to allow me to quote her powerful poem in these notes. She expressed that she was deeply touched that her work would inspire me to write a piece in honor of Linda Mann.The piece begins with a poignant, pensive opening section. The use of the musical interval of a tritone between the first two openly voiced chords are used to represent the sadness we all feel from this type of loss. When I sat in front of my piano and started to work on this piece, my hands seemed to naturally and immediately play these first two chords, which set the process in motion of composing the piece.After the somber opening, the piece shifts to a whimsical theme that I hope brings about happy thoughts of Linda and her personality. It was also my intent, however, to include some musical dissonance in the theme that still reflected the bittersweet loss at the same time. The piece develops into a secondary theme that is a quasi inversion of the main fast theme. This section is followed by a return of the opening material, with snippets of the fast theme intertwined, before the piece builds to a triumphant, augmented presentation of the main theme in a lush form to complete the work.It is my hope that in some small way, this piece will bring comfort to those affected by the loss of Linda Mann, and that the music will allow her memory to Live On.–Larry ClarkLakeland, FL 2017.
SKU: PR.16400261S
UPC: 680160038411.
Since the bassoon is my own instrument, many people have asked me why I've written so little for the instrument. Beyond my early Concerto Da Camera for bassoon and small orchestra, written for Leonard Sharrow in 1975, I've not written a single piece that features the bassoon as a solo vehicle (though I have written three woodwind quintets). When I first began composing seriously, critics were quick to point out that my orchestral writing revealed nothing of my roots as a woodwind player--and bassoonists asked why my pieces didn't have more bassoon solos. Perhaps I was so aware that people were looking at me as a bassoonist/composer that I was determined to remove that stigma. Now that my transformation from performer to composer is complete, however, it's time to re-address my instrument. I wanted this new piece to be serious rather than whimsical. The Wind Won't Listen represents my return to the bassoon as the highly expressive, poetic soul that it is. As such, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the piece is based on a poem, and that the title of the piece as well as both its movement titles come from lines in that poem. I first read Beth Gylys' poem Split at the MacDowell Colony in the summer of 2001, and it made a big impression on me. My personal life had been ruptured by divorce in the preceding year. This poem, with its dry insistence on observation rather than feeling, expressed the wrung-out state of my emotions at the time better than any I had seen. I set it to music, as a song, immediately. In this format, for voice and piano, I was able to put a musical note to every word of the poem. The first lines of the poem, Everyone I know is crying, or should be crying, became a melody that haunted me even without the words. The work for bassoon and string quartet is an outgrowth of the song. The first movement is labeled Romanza, and has a loose formal arch structure of A-B-C-B-A, with B and C being fast sections framed by the lamenting A music. In addition to hearing the bassoon's first notes attached to the lines Everyone I know is crying, there's a sense of agitation, of loss, of longing, and at times of desperation in the music. At one point, the opening theme from Tristan even appears in the strings. The second movement follows, without a real pause--the pizzicato final chords of the first movement becoming the increasingly aggressive opening chords of the second. The recitative is actually a foreshadowing of the basic theme that will be varied, again to the words of the song: Life makes itself without us. Don't let me tell you how it is. Go out. Look. The recitative begins in an anguished state, but subsides into more gentle singing by the end, when it simply falls into an ostinato 5/8-3/4 pattern to begin the variations. Marked Very steady tempo; Dancing, this set of variations consists of three dances, each faster than the previous. The first, in the aforementioned 5/8-3/4 meter, gives way to a 3/8 scherzo, which in turn takes on a furious 2/4 scurrying motion. The music becomes breathless, almost pulse-less, and an ethereal theme appears in the violins while the rushing music continues, sotto voce in the bassoon. This new theme is also from the song: Why do I do this? The wind won't listen. The bassoon re-states its Everyone I know is crying melody from the first movement, and at length the 5/8-3/4 music returns, more subdued this time. The piece ends on a major-minor chord, suspended. The Wind Won't Listen is dedicated to the man who commissioned it, bassoonist Steven Dibner--who shares my passion for poetry and language. --Dan Welcher.
SKU: CF.YPS212
ISBN 9781491152317. UPC: 680160909810. Key: C minor.
SKU: CA.926400
ISBN 9790007261870. French. Text: Victor Hugo.
In his poem Soiree en mer, Victor Hugo describes how the sea can be perceived very differently by two lovers at the same time in the same place. While the man perceives the deepening shadows on the dancing waves, the woman marvels at the stars shining ever brighter in the firmament. In nature, as in the words of the poem, the painful ambiguity that represents life at its core can be experienced. Like no other poet, Hugo captures this almost unbearable simultaneity of living and dying, of love and suffering. Saint-Saens translates this into music - probably the most ephemeral and contemporary of all art forms. His balanced musical form leaves plenty of room for the poetry and his subtle variations in timbre, which also inspired Denis Rouger to his choral arrangement, create a seething motion under the surface of the sea.This art song was originally composed not for chamber choir, but for solo voice and piano. Denis Rouger has carefully adapted it to suit the requirements and expressive possibilities offered by a larger ensemble, without losing any of the qualities of the original in the process. Each part in the choir has a melodic line drawn from the harmonic and rhythmic framework. In the process, the variety and refinement of the choral language combines with an enormous flexibility in form and expression, as French melodies or German art song demand from a soloist and pianist. The songs have been recorded by the figure humaine chamber choir on the CD ...wo die Ztronen bluhn (Carus 83.514).
SKU: AP.107080
UPC: 038081391496. English.
This Value Pack includes Rachmaninoff's Fantaisie-tableaux (Suite No. 1), Op. 5 and Suite No. 2, Op. 17.Fantaisie-tableaux (Suite No. 1), the large four-movement work, was written in 1893 and premiered by Rachmaninoff and Pavel Pabst in Moscow. It is dedicated to Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. A few lines of poetry by Romantic poets preface each movement. The theme of love in the first two movements is brought to life by the two pianos with colorful, passionate writing. The final two movements feature the sound of bells---the third movement inspired by cathedrals bells that Rachmaninoff heard as a youngster, and the fourth movement capturing the jubilant sound of Easter carillon.Suite No. 2, Op. 17 was written between 1900 and 1901, and was premiered in 1901 by Rachmaninoff and Alexander Siloti. This virtuosic suite is orchestral in nature and contains four movements. The first movement serves as a march-like introduction, and the second and fourth movements are dances---a waltz and tarantella. Between the two dances is a slow third movement. Two copies required for performance.
About Alfred Value Packs
Alfred Value Packs are a great way to introduce yourself to new music from many of the top names in educational piano. These specially designed sets allow teachers to review the music to determine the best use for their students. Limit one per customer.
SKU: PR.111402590
UPC: 680160638208. 9x12 inches. Text: Alan Dugan. Alan Dugan. Poems Seven, ©Alan Dugan, published by Seven Stories Press, New York.
The poetry of Pulitzer Prize winner Alan Dugan struck a chord with Matheson, who notes a certain contradiction in the poems and in his own writings - an emotional directness combined with complexity. Matheson chose seven Dugan poems, which span decades, in answering a 2004 commission by Carnegie Hall through the Weill Music Institute, and also chose the Pierrot ensemble to convey his impressions. Matheson tends to build to a punch line,which often helps clarify Dugan's slight obscurities. You may not know what the poet means, but the music at least directs you to the right place emotionally. - Mark Swed, The Los Angeles Times.
SKU: HL.49015651
ISBN 9790001133548. UPC: 073999644944. 9.0x12.0x0.07 inches. Vocalise.
Profound Slavonic emotion and thrilling virtuosity distinguish many of Rodion Shchedrin's compositions. Even though he has long since become a citizen of the world, the composer born in Moscow has held on to his Russian origins and has never lost his ties with Russian musical folklore and poetry. In Tanya * Katya Shchedrin uses the syllabic content of the two women's names alone to develop a melodic structure that has real emotional depth. A broad arc reaches all the way from the roots of traditional Russian song to the use of contemporary techniques of composition. These songs without words create vivid profiles by purely musical means * even though we never really find out who is concealed behind these two mysterious names.
SKU: PR.312418590
UPC: 680160595785. 8.5 x 11 inches. Text by Chen Yi.
Often called the Ellis Island of the West, Angel Island in San Francisco was used as an immigration station in the first half of the 20th century, processing some one million Asian immigrants. Because of U.S. policy of the time, many spent years on Angel Island awaiting entry. Recently named a National Historical Landmark, Angel Island and its history is the inspiration behind Chen Yi's Angel Island Passages, commissioned by the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Chen explores the experiences of the immigrants, even using poems carved in the walls, to express the mood, the patient yearning, and the ultimate release and embrace of a new country. Angel Island Passages was premiered June 4-5, 2010 by the SFGC and the Cypress String Quartet at the San Francisco Conservatory. For advanced performers. Duration: 15'.Commissioned by San Francisco Girls Chorus (Executive Director Melanie Smith), and premiered by the SFGC and Cypress String Quartet on June 4, 2010, conducted by SFGC’s Artistic Director Susan McMane, at San Francisco Conservatory, CA, the 3-movement song cycle Angel Island Passages is written for children’s chorus and string quartet, with multimedia projection on the walls of the concert hall, produced by visual artist Felicia Lowe. The creative idea of this work was initiated by Dr. McMane, who invited me to write the music, and sent me the book “Island, poetry and history of Chinese Immigrants on Angel Island, 1910-1940â€, by Him Mark Lai, Genny Lim, and Judy Yung for reference in 2009; also inspired by the Angel Island stories, and through cooperation with Felicia, who shared with me her film “Carved in Silence†and video productions “Chinatown†and “Road to Restorationâ€.I named the first movement of my work as “1882â€, which reflected the dark mood under the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. The collective poems carved on the wooden walls in Angel Island expressed deep emotion in sorrow and anxiety. The music in the second movement “Longing†is sad and sentimental. The third movement is called “We Are Americaâ€, which is ever-moving, energetic and optimistic. The text sung in the beginning in Chinese means “I am an Americanâ€. It’s sung in Cantonese dialect, then in Mandarin. As the music develops, from homophonic to polyphonic with increasing layers, the climax is reached when the text is turned to English “We Are Americaâ€, which symbolizes the flourishing society with the great contribution from thousands of immigrants during the years. The music fades out towards the ending of the work, which pushes the scene to a remote picture, to look forward to the future peace of the world.I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with such inspiring creative artists in this project, and hope the work is meaningful to our new society after the premiere performance.—Chen Yi.
SKU: MN.50-8004
UPC: 688670580048.
This Good Friday anthem was written in 1997 for a large festival choir, though it can be used effectively with small choirs as well. The poignant and little-known text was written in 1975 by Eliza Sibbald Alderson, sister of the celebrated minister and composer John Bacchus Dykes. Like many of her hymns and poetry this text was written at her brother's request, and reflects on the sufferings of Christ. The music begins in solemn fashion and incorporates a great range of emotion. Well-written.