Nico Muhly

In Bright Mass With Canons the canonical motifs are present right from the beginning and carry through almost every bar of the work.There are echoes of early English Choral writing and abstracted sections with flurries of sound interspersed with more Choral writing all in the most modern idioms. Contemporary American composer Nico Muhly is a prolific writer and arranger who at 32 is the youngest composer ever to have been commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His oeuvre includes two operas and many solo pieces and works for small ensemble Orchestra and Chorus and he has collaborated with artists such as PhilipGlass Björk and Sigur Rós.In the December 2014 edition of Organists' Review Christopher Maxim writes that 'the vocal writing frequently evokes Renaissance polyphony' and 'the language is fresh and contemporary with much zest being added by the organ part.'

For Nine Male Voices And Orchestra-Luminous Body is a collaboration between Nico Muhly and Craig Lucas written in the period immediately following their narratively charged opera 'Two Boys'. Luminous Body is as a result abstract and poetic in gesture and form. The text interpolates among other things stylized versions of the teachings of Christ Buddha Mohammed and Plato; these are scrambled and re-contextualized and in a sense serve as background for the textures of the combination of nine male Voices and Orchestra.Part 1 introduces the chord structure that governs the entire piece and ends with the repeated words ?only your will is your own.?The second and third parts loosely dealing with the Devil and the importance of choosing one?s words are based on drones generated by the Voices and the strings; the constant (but slightly morphing) texture is meant to be meditative and vague. Muhly always wanted to set the Beatitudes and Craig paraphrased them beautifully here; the tenors intone the word ?blessed? over and over while the strings and winds reiterate the passacaglia from the opening of the piece. The fifth and final part is a series of proverbs. The Orchestra begins in a series of loose ecstatic drones which increase in intensity (?Make your own family!?) until you jump suddenly to the garden of Gethsemane where Christ was betrayed while his disciples slept. ?Why are you sleeping? Couldn?t you stay awake for one more hour?? he asks while the strings and winds lazily chant in the background.Luminous Body was premiered by The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Cantus.

Nico Muhly's Marrow composed for SATB choir unaccompanied with texts from Psalm 63 vv.1–3 6–8 Book of Common Prayer (1662). Commissioned by the Netherlands Chamber Choir for the project 150 Psalms to be premiered by the Tallis Scholars during Utrecht Early Music Festival September 1st 2017. Duration: c. 3 minutes. 'Last September in one weekend in Utrecht settings were sung of all 150 Psalms by 150 different composers covering 1000 years of choral music. The Tallis Scholars were one of the four choirs taking part and among their contributions was this new piece by Nico Muhly. The words are from the Book ofCommon Prayer version of Psalm 63 with the title teasingly taking one word from ‘My soul shall be satisfied even as it were with marrow and fatness.’ Cries of ‘O God’ provide a fluid background to an almost plainchant-like proclamation of the text at start and finish with other voices gradually joining the psalm text in the central section until all unite on ‘when my mouth praiseth thee with joyful lips’. For a choir happy to subdivide into 4S 2A 2T and 2B it is a setting of imagination and beauty.' - Sunday by Sunday

Baritone Voice-Four Traditional Songs is a setting of four heartbreaking and poignant folk songs by virtuoso contemporary composer Nico Muhly. Composed in 2011 the songs deal with themes of death murder and unimaginable events that are emotively arranged for Baritone Voice and Piano. Commissioned by Carnegie Hall in New York City and Wigmore Hall in London this work was first performed at those renowned venues in 2011 and 2012 respectively. Muhly states that he drew inspiration from old English folksongs and would spend time imagining stylised yet subtle musical settings with accompaniments. The result of this intensive periodof listening is Four Traditional Songs which lasts around 15 minutes and carries that incredible sense of sad balladry that counters the occasionally jaunty melodies. This edition is for Baritone Voice. Please click  here to purchase the Countertenor version .

Pater Noster simply meaning 'Our Father' has been composed by Nico Muhly for SATB Chorus With Soprano Solo and was originally commissioned for the 2008 Edington Music Festival.

The Faire Starre (Vocal Score). Co-commissioned by VocalEssence, Philip Brunelle, Artistic Director: Trinity Wall Street, Julian Wachner, Music Director: and Los Angeles Master Chorale, Grant Gershon, Artistic Director. The Faire Starre is a nativity cantata in three parts. Parts I and III set nativity poems by Richard Crashaw and Thomas Traherne, framing a longer central section setting of a lullaby compiled by John of Grimestone in 1372.

The Last Letter is a work by Nico Muhly for Baritone Voice and Piano. Commissioned by the Barbican Centre and the European Concert Hall Organisation the text comes from a collection of 'Love Letters of the Great War' and a poem by Friedrich Schiller. A performance lasts around 11 minutes.

Judith Clurman Choral Series-In the Jewish tradition the Song of Songs is associated with love and the coming of spring. This setting is a powerful example of the highly sensual and passionate love poetry. It has long been interpreted by both the Jewish and Christian traditions as an extended allegory for the relationship between God and God's people as well as between two people in love.

For Tenor Violin And Drone-Three Songs was expertly composed by Nico Muhly.There is a two-note drone that sounds throughout this piece’s 15-minute duration. In the first part of the songs the Tenor and the Violin exchange lyrical and declamatory statements.The second part is a song without words: a sort of dance for solo Violin. The third part has the Violin intoning a pair of notes while the tenor sings in essence a list.The work was commissioned by violinist Tatiana Berman on French surrealist poems of her choosing and was premiered at the Constella Festival in Cincinnati in 2012.

Vocal Score-Contemporary American composer Nico Muhly is a prolific writer and arranger who at 32 is the youngest composer ever to have been commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in New York. His oeuvre includes two operas and many solo pieces and works for small ensemble Orchestra and Chorus. Muhly has collaborated widely. This Choral work manifests some influences of Phillip Glass for whom he has previously worked. Like As The Hart is Muhly’s response to Herbert Howells’s setting of the psalm though in this version elongated harmonies ‘drag’ melodic fragments behind them.

Nico Muhly's The Sweets Of Evening (2006) was written for Dianne Berkun and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus. This work is for children's voices and Piano. Having worked with this group of musicians many times before Muhly was honored to finally write them a piece. Having sung in a boy choir himself Muhly is fascinated and intimate with the changing nature of young voices and looked for a text that is itself transitory – in this instance depicting the movement between dusk and night. A great fan of Christopher Smart’s poetry and particularly of Benjamin Britten’s setting of fragments from Jubilate Agno; Muhly's settingnods to Britten in its episodic nature and generosity towards the singers. The Sweets of Evening lasts six and one half minutes. Nico Muhly - The Sweets Of Evening by musicroom

Soprano/Piano-The world premiere was given by Jessica Rivera and Maryann Kim in Weill Recital Hall Carnegie Hall New York City on 13 March 2009. The text is taken from Psalms 63 and 56 and from The Gospel according to St. John.

Nico Muhly's In One Place for SATB chorus unaccompanied.This work incorporates words by John Donne paraphrasing Acts 2:1 Pentecost Antiphons.

Nico Muhly's Malmesbury Motets arranged for SATB chorus and Viola da Gamba.   Commissioned for the choir of Malmesbury Abbey Wiltshire by Revd Canon Neill Archer (vicar) and Dr Annie Davis (Lay Precentor). First performed on 26 & 27 November 2016 at the Advent Carol Services at Malmesbury Abbey by the Abbey Choir directed by John Hughes and Rebecca Saunders.   Duration approximately: 8 minutes.   '...one hopesthere are enough good (Gamba) players available to take on the challenge so that Muhly's imaginative collection can be widely appreciated'. Choir & Organ  December 2017