SKU: PR.114409470
UPC: 680160014200. 8.5 x 11 inches.
The idea of Song in Winter came from the imagination of the pine and the bamboo. They are so persistent and dauntless. Standing in the frigid winter, they are evergreens. In Chinese paintings, they are featured characters; in Chinese literature, they are praised as symbols against evil influences and unhealty trends. Chen Yi admires their beautiful appearances and their strong spirit and expresses their feelings through their music, which combines Chinese and Western musical materials and medium. The silence between the gestures is like the space in brush painting and calligraphy.Song in Winter is a trio written for harpsichord, dizi (bamboo flute) and zheng (Chinese zither). My idea for this piece came from the pine and the bamboo. Such persistent and dauntless trees! Standing in the frigid winter, they are evergreens. In Chinese paintings, they are the featured characters, while in Chinese literature, they are praised as symbols against evil influences and unhealthy trends. I admire their beautiful appearances and their strong spirit. I express my feelings through my music, which combines Chinese and Western musical materials and media. Using the harpsichord, an old Western instrument, and the zheng and dizi, two old Chinese instruments, I mix keyboard, plucking and blowing instruments into a whole. The silence between the gestures is like the space in Chinese brush painting and calligraphy. Although I have been living in a western society for seven years, I have found my thinking closely linked with Chinese arts. I merged them into my musical language in the trio. Song in Winter was commissioned and inspired by Prof. Joyce Lindorff, the winner of the Pro Musicis Foundation's international competition, for her March 23, 1994 concert at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York, sponsored by the Foundation. It is dedicated to Ms. Lindorff and Ms. Susan Cheng, the founder and executive director of Music From China, who has been enthusiastically supporting Chinese new music in New York for many years. The work has been recorded on the album “Sparkle: Chamber Music of Chen Yi†on CRI, released in New York in 1999. The trio has also been adapted for quartet: flute, zheng (Chinese zither), piano and percussion, for ALEA III, for the premiere concert in Feb. 4, 1994, in Boston.—Chen Yi(born in China, 1953).
SKU: FJ.B1468S
English.
This programmatic five-movement work portrays a series of colorful paintings and is an ideal centerpiece for your next program. Movements include the fanfare and fugue-like Prelude, the mystical The Sultan of Morocco, the tranquil Birds in Landscape, the regal and elegant Catherine the Great, and the lively and humorous character of A Flemish Countryside. An amazing array of styles in a work of grand proportion!
SKU: HL.48025036
UPC: 196288020813.
The piece was commissioned by a colleague Brett Dean of the Berliner Philharmoniker, the violist Walter Kussner, as part of a CD project with works for solo viola in 1998/99. Since then, the composer himself has played it himself countless times in concerts andlectures. Here it is now in a congenial adaptation for cello. The title Intimate Decisions comes from a painting by Dean's wife, theAustralian painter Heather Betts, and indicates the private nature of the music. According to Dean, writing a piece for a solo string instrument was strangely similar to writing a personal letter or an intense conversation with a close friend. The piece begins with a short series of individual intervals of a rather intangible character, followed by a more emphatic motif of a minor sixth and minor ninth, and later a chain of harmonies whirring down the lower strings. The various developing characters go through an increasingly decisive, ultimately dramatic conversation, in rhapsodic alternation with flighty virtuosity, but also calm and delicacy, only to fade away like an echo at the end.
SKU: HL.359041
ISBN 9781705120835. UPC: 840126945010. 11.25x17.0x0.407 inches.
Commedia, subtitled “for (almost) 18th-century orchestra,†boldly trots out some of the orchestral cliches of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It was influenced, as its title suggests, by the commedia del'arte (albeit distantly) - the stock characters tossed against each other in a variety of situations, often comic, but, as evidenced in the paintings of a Longhi or a Magnasco, not without a dark side. Much of the piece consists of a tarantella or saltarello in fast 6/8 time. Commissioned by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and premiered by the orchestra under Sydney Hodkinson in March, 1972.
SKU: HL.49047286
ISBN 9798350115772.
The initial stimulus for this set of pieces was a painting by Kandinsky, Composition VII (1913). The painting represents a period when he was concerned with emotional, abstract paintings of two sorts: (a) improvisations ('unconscious, spontaneous expression of inner character, the non-material nature' that contain no recognizable objects, but coloured shapes that express feelings) and (b) compositions ('an expression of a slowly formed inner feeling, tested and worked over repeatedly' that include recognizable objects,but ones that have been 'stripped' and 'veiled'). Taking the latter idea as a starting point I began to mould and form a tripartite piece which conveyed the energy and colour from canvas to notes. The movement titles are derived from the number of notes in the note rows for each movement, i.e. “Etude Four†uses a note row made up of four notes.
SKU: HL.1218087
UPC: 196288141457. 9.0x12.0x0.327 inches.
Fall down the rabbit hole with Alice as she navigates the curious world of Wonderland on a journey of self-discovery. This 60-minute stage adaptation of the classic Disney animated film and the Lewis Carroll stories makes a triumphant return to the Broadway Junior® catalog, with an updated script and score made specifically for today's young performers. When young Alice finds herself in a strange world where everything seems upside down, she must find her way home...and find herself along the way. As she travels through Wonderland, she encounters all of the iconic characters that audiences have come to love: including the ever-tardy White Rabbit, the grinning Cheshire Cat, a cool Caterpillar, the wacky Mad Hatter, and the hot-tempered Queen of Hearts. Alice in Wonderland JR. features Disney favorites such as â??The Golden Afternoon,â? â??The Unbirthday Song,â? and â??Painting the Roses Redâ? along with brand-new songs, including music from the 2010 live-action film. Whether this is your first experience with Alice or your hundredth, you'll fall in love all over again with this timeless story of adventure, imagination, and pure fun!
SKU: PR.114422650
ISBN 9781491134528. UPC: 680160685004.
Charmingly packed with wit, grace, symbolism, and irony, Shulamit Ran’s THE FLIGHT OF THE BRAVE CHICKEN celebrates the life and work of a graphic artist and illustrator (who played clarinet), who lost her battle with cancer as a young adult. The six-minute duo begins as a dramatic dialog for bass clarinet and piccolo, gradually evolving to peaceful resolution for flute and clarinet. The work may be performed with projections of the original art panels that inspired the work.Brave Chicken was a character developed by Nina Frenkel, gifted illustrator, graphicartist, and beloved friend to many, who passed away at the age of 43 having lost adifficult battle with cancer. Her parents, Marcel and Anne Frenkel, approached mein May 2017 about composing a short work in Nina’s memory, suggesting that it bebased on four delightful panels that Nina had painted in 2014 before she knew of therecurrence of the disease.Titled “Brave Chicken Meets the Ogre,†“Brave Chicken Fights the Ogre,†“BraveChicken Flees to Safety,†and “Brave Chicken in the Healing Hut,†the four panelsdepict a progression from darkness to light. And while my composition does notattempt to follow the four panels literally, I did aim to create two distinctly differentmusical characters who are posed against one another with one clearly perceived asdominant and threatening, and trace the evolving change in the balance of power,and with it the journey from darkness to light.Inspired by the knowledge that Nina herself greatly enjoyed playing the clarinet, Idecided to pair bass clarinet with piccolo, eventually switching the piccolo over toflute, with clarinet appearing in time for the work’s peaceful conclusion. Though I hadnever met Nina, I felt honored to compose this work in her memory.
SKU: BR.EB-9432
ISBN 9790004189092. 0 x 0 inches.
Duration: full evening Text by the composer basesd on E.T.A. Hoffmann's tale of the same name from Serapionsbrudern Translation: ital. (G. Trampus), La sposa sorteggiata Place and time: Berlin, um 1820 Characters: Der Kommissionsrat Voswinkel (baritone) - Albertine, his daughter (mezzo-soprano) - Thusman, Freier (tenor) - Edmund Lehsen, paintor, Freier (tenor) - Baron Bensch, Freier (tenor) - the goldsmith Leonhard (baritone) - the jew Manasse (bass) - the valet Voswinkels - crowd, a Chancre (silent parts) In Busoni's musical evolution, this work marks an important phase of radical change after works inspired by Brahms and Verdi. The composer's compositional style became increasingly revolutionary between the sketch of the shport score (1908) and the completion of the orchestral score (1911).Busoni took the greatest care in preparing the definitive form of the work. He asserted that there was invention in every bar, and assigned an important role to the use of music from other sources: the Hebrew march from Rossini's Mose, for example, or a German dance by Mozart, military music, American-Indian pentatonic music, Gregorian plainchant, melodies from the synagogue and even quotes from his own works. With these stylistic means, Busoni followed Hoffmann's serapiontic principle and came closer to his idea of a timeless world music without borders.
SKU: CF.YPS231
ISBN 9781491157831. UPC: 680160916436. 9 x 12 inches.
The life of railroad worker in the early days of expansion was lonely, and the need for music to bolster spirits was of great importance. The character singing 900 Miles is looking forward to being reunited with his family after being separated from them for considerable time. The Wayfaring Stranger is a prominent American folk and gospel song that reflects upon the journey through life. The character in that song contemplates better times with their family in the afterlife. Both of these songs speak to the idea of searching for something beyond the current situation in which that person finds themselves. The programmatic qualities of the work are essentially tied to the main folk songa900 Milesaand they evoke the idea of where the song found its origins. Beyond that, both songs connect each of us to the sense of belonging and family that are the human experience. While the music paints a picture of someone who is alone, that is not a feeling I want for any young student in our schools today. Band is one of the few places where students can discover that sense of belonging and find a surrogate family. While band is a family that might not always get along, they can reach a shared goal through diligent work, caring and encouragement. It was a pleasure completing Lonely Travelers for longtime friend, superb musician, excellent educator and dedicated leader in music education Dennis Emert. His students debuted the work at the 2020 PMEA State Conference. I am deeply appreciative of Dennis and the friendship, encouragement and perspective he shared with me over the years teaching in the same region. The opening flute, clarinet and alto saxophone part can be performed by the entire section or as a solo at the discretion of the director. The washboard and spoon part can be doubled as players allow. I would suggest bringing these students to the front of the stage to get the sound of both instruments to the audience. As the piece develops and Wayfaring Stranger is layered with 900 Miles, please remind your ensemble to play so they can hear each other, not so they are individually heard. I thank you and your ensemble in advance as you begin this journey together in search of Lonely Travelers.The life of railroad worker in the early days of expansion was lonely, and the need for music to bolster spirits was of great importance. The character singing 900 Miles is looking forward to being reunited with his family after being separated from them for considerable time. The Wayfaring Stranger is a prominent American folk and gospel song that reflects upon the journey through life. The character in that song contemplates better times with their family in the afterlife. Both of these songs speak to the idea of searching for something beyond the current situation in which that person finds themselves. The programmatic qualities of the work are essentially tied to the main folk song--900 Miles--and they evoke the idea of where the song found its origins. Beyond that, both songs connect each of us to the sense of belonging and family that are the human experience. While the music paints a picture of someone who is alone, that is not a feeling I want for any young student in our schools today. Band is one of the few places where students can discover that sense of belonging and find a surrogate family. While band is a family that might not always get along, they can reach a shared goal through diligent work, caring and encouragement. It was a pleasure completing Lonely Travelers for longtime friend, superb musician, excellent educator and dedicated leader in music education Dennis Emert. His students debuted the work at the 2020 PMEA State Conference. I am deeply appreciative of Dennis and the friendship, encouragement and perspective he shared with me over the years teaching in the same region. The opening flute, clarinet and alto saxophone part can be performed by the entire section or as a solo at the discretion of the director. The washboard and spoon part can be doubled as players allow. I would suggest bringing these students to the front of the stage to get the sound of both instruments to the audience. As the piece develops and Wayfaring Stranger is layered with 900 Miles, please remind your ensemble to play so they can hear each other, not so they are individually heard. I thank you and your ensemble in advance as you begin this journey together in search of Lonely Travelers.The life of railroad worker in the early days of expansion was lonely, and the need for music to bolster spirits was of great importance. The character singing 900 Miles is looking forward to being reunited with his family after being separated from them for considerable time. The Wayfaring Stranger is a prominent American folk and gospel song that reflects upon the journey through life. The character in that song contemplates better times with their family in the afterlife. Both of these songs speak to the idea of searching for something beyond the current situation in which that person finds themselves. The programmatic qualities of the work are essentially tied to the main folk song—900 Miles—and they evoke the idea of where the song found its origins. Beyond that, both songs connect each of us to the sense of belonging and family that are the human experience.While the music paints a picture of someone who is alone, that is not a feeling I want for any young student in our schools today. Band is one of the few places where students can discover that sense of belonging and find a surrogate family. While band is a family that might not always get along, they can reach a shared goal through diligent work, caring and encouragement. It was a pleasure completing Lonely Travelers for longtime friend, superb musician, excellent educator and dedicated leader in music education Dennis Emert. His students debuted the work at the 2020 PMEA State Conference. I am deeply appreciative of Dennis and the friendship, encouragement and perspective he shared with me over the years teaching in the same region.The opening flute, clarinet and alto saxophone part can be performed by the entire section or as a solo at the discretion of the director. The washboard and spoon part can be doubled as players allow. I would suggest bringing these students to the front of the stage to get the sound of both instruments to the audience. As the piece develops and Wayfaring Stranger is layered with 900 Miles, please remind your ensemble to play so they can hear each other, not so they are individually heard. I thank you and your ensemble in advance as you begin this journey together in search of Lonely Travelers.
SKU: CF.YPS231F
ISBN 9781491157824. UPC: 680160916429. 9 x 12 inches.
SKU: HL.49019006
ISBN 9790001174619. 9.0x12.0x0.075 inches.
With his piano cycle Pictures at an Exhibition from 1874, Mussorgsky created a classic example of programme music. Based on the paintings of his deceased friend Viktor Hartmann, he also composed the lyrical serenade 'Il vecchio castello' (The Old Castle), among others. Hartmann's picture shows a medieval Italian castle with a singing troubadour who accompanies himself on the lute. In Maurice Ravel's subsequent famous orchestral version, the beautiful, melancholy melody was played by the alto saxophone. Accompaniment, prelude and interludes are reminiscent of playing a medieval hurdy-gurdy with its pervading drone bass. Therein lies the continuity of the piece, thereabove lies the quiet romance with its melancholy character - the unrequited love of the troubadour. This separate edition now gives all saxophonists the opportunity to play the piece with piano accompaniment.
SKU: BR.CHB-5381-00
ISBN 9790004413821. 7.5 x 10.5 inches. English.
As director of the Bavarian Radio Choir, Howard Arman has been actively engaged with international Christmas carols through various Christmas-related CD productions in the past years. This has resulted in a number of original arrangements for four- to eight-part mixed choir a cappella, shedding new light on well-known classics such as O du frohliche [O, you joyful], Stille Nacht [Silent Night] and Lasst uns froh und munter sein [Let us be happy and cheerful]. The first volume includes five Christmas carols from the German-speaking regions. They range from simple but harmonically intriguing settings such as Lieb Nachtigall, wach auf [Dear nightingale, wake up] to eight-part sound paintings with bell-like chimes as in O du frohliche and classical double choir settings such as Resonet in laudibus. The second volume includes five Christmas spirituals with English texts, forming a contrast to the solemn and festive character of the first. The choir can prove its swing and jazz qualities here; the stirring arrangements are a gain for classical Christmas concerts, too. Following the tradition of the spiritual, some settings also require soloists, which can, however, also be recruited from the choir if adequate singers are available. The first piece combines the spirituals It's a Birthday and Wasn't That a Mighty Day to form a medley, Ain't That a Rockin' gives a moment of tranquility before the likewise rousing spirituals Mary Had a Baby and Little David conclude the volume. In both volumes, Howard Arman provides a short preface in German and English, explaining the background of each piece and giving advice on performance.
SKU: BR.CHB-5381
SKU: BR.CHB-5380
ISBN 9790004413814. 7.5 x 10.5 inches. German / Latin.
SKU: BR.CHB-5380-00
SKU: HL.48024565
Most of us, when confronted with the term graffiti, are likely to associate it with the rather desolate wall scrawlings all over our urban landscapes. However, this is not the whole picture: no less artists than Klee, Miro, Dubuffet, and Picasso were interestedin it (the latter painting examples himself on Parisian walls). In our time, there is the highly interesting and controversial phenomenon of Street Art, which has occasionally wittily succeeded in criticizing the commercialization of cities. At their best, street artists have been able to thwart the expectations created by omnipresent mass media and by advertising - one can find some particularly remarkable examples in metropolises such as Berlin, Paris, or New York. Though this was the initial stimulus for Graffiti, it finally branched into rather different directions: it is only very loosely, ifat all, connected to the phenomenon of Street Art (or to the visual arts). The music is not illustrative nor is it programmatic and the main idea was to compose a music which is not restricted as to time or place, and which offers strong contrasts between different modes of expression. The three movements headings give a hint of the changing modes, moods, and structures of the music. The first movement, Palimpsest,is polydimensional and many-layered; one can hear allusions to a multiplicity of styles. The second movement, Notturno urbano, forms a strong contrast to the hyperactive previous movement. It starts with distant and gradually approaching bell-like sounds, from which the whole movement's musical material is being derived. The instruments are often used in an unconventional way: the winds as well as the strings employ extended techniques, which contributes to the aloofness and the mysteriousness of the movement. The third, highly virtuosic, movement, is a kind of an 'urban passacaglia' (the name of this musical form actually derives from the Spanish 'pasar una calle', 'to walk along a street'). It consists of eight incisive chords, which are played continuously by the brass, albeit always in a different way. Two worlds collide in this movement: the brass attacks are commented upon by flitting interjections of different instruments, which are highly varied in character and length. As a whole, the musical language of Graffiti shifts between roughness and refinement, complexity and transparency. It is rich in contrast and labyrinthine, neither tonal nor atonal. Graffiti calls for great agility, virtuosity, and constant changes of perspective from the musicians; each instrument is being treated as a soloist. Graffiti was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, Barbican, London; Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Kunststiftung NRW and Ensemble musikFabrik. It was first performed on 26th of February 2013 by the Los Angeles Philharmonic New Music Group conducted b.
SKU: HL.14012287
ISBN 9788759865002. 12.25x16.5x0.92 inches. English.
Triptykon for Percussion and Orchestra was composed by Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen in 1985. Dedicated to Gert Mortensen. Programme note: TRIPTYKON is inspired by the visual arts (a triptych is a painting on three panels, hinged side by side - for instance an altarpiece). The three movements of TRIPTYKON are composed in an eff ort to create clear contrasts of colour. The first movement employs only winds in the orchestra, the second movement only strings, and in the third movement the first two movements are repeated, on top of each other, played simultaneously. Tue percussion solo part has equally distinct colours: for the first movement: metal only, for the second movement: woodonly, and then finally in the third movement- together with the orchestral tutti - skin! Other distinct features in TRIPTYKON are block-like dispositions, polyrhythmic layers and simplicity of tonal colours. Tue often crude articulation of motifs and the frequent use ofrepetition lend a ritual character to the music. TRIPTYKON was composed in close collaboration with percussionist Gert Mortensen and the work is dedicated to him.
SKU: BA.BA06861
ISBN 9790260104211. 34.3 x 27 cm inches.
LeoÅ¡ Janácek’s symphonic fragment Dunaj (The Danube) dates from the period of the composition of “Katya Kabanovaâ€. The composer was not concerned with a musical-picturesque description of a river landscape, but with the mythical link between women’s destinies and water.“Pale green waves of the Danube! There are so many of you, and one followed by another. You remain interlocked in a continuous flow. You surprise yourselves where you ended up – on the Czech shores! Look back downstream and you will have an impression of what you have left behind in your haste. It pleases you here. Here I will rest with my symphony.†Thus LeoÅ¡ Janácek described the idea behind the composition project which occupied him in 1923/24. However, after further work, it remained incomplete in 1926. His “symphony†entitled Dunaj has survived as a continuously-notated, four-movement bundle of sketches in score form. It is one of the works which occupied him until his death. The scholarly reconstruction by the two Brno composers MiloÅ¡ Å tedron and LeoÅ¡ Faltus closely follows the original manuscript.A whole conglomeration of motifs stands behind the incomplete work. What at first seems like a counterpart to Smetana’s Vltava, in fact doesn’t turn out to be a musical depiction of the Danube. On the contrary, the fateful link between the destiny of women, water and death permeates the range of motifs found in the work. It seems to be no coincidence that Janácek, whilst working on the opera Katya Kabanova, in which the Volga, as the river bringing death plays an almost mythical role, planned a Danube symphony, and that its content was linked with the destiny of women: in the sketches, two poems were found which may have provided the stimulus for several movements of the symphony. He copied a poem by Pavla Kriciková into the second movement, in which a girl remarks that whilst bathing in a pond, she was observed by a man. Filled with shame, the young naked woman jumps into the water and drowns. The outer movements likewise draw on the poem “Lola†by the Czech writer Sonja Å pálová, published under the pseudonym Alexander Insarov. This is about a prostitute who asks for her heart’s desire: she is given a palace, but then goes on a long search for it and is finally no longer wanted by anyone. She suffers, feels cold and just wants a warm fire. Janácek adds his remark “she jumps into the Danube†to the inconclusive ending.To these tangible literary models is added Adolf Veselý’s verbal account which reports that the composer wanted to portray “in the Danube, the female sex with all its passions and driving forcesâ€. The third movement is said to characterise the city of Vienna in the form of a woman.It is evident that in his composition, Janácek was not striving for a simple, natural lyricism. The River Danube is masculine in the Slavic language – “ten Dunaj†– and assumes an almost mythical significance in the national character, indeed often also a role bringing death. The four movements are motivically conceived. Elements of sound painting, small wave-like figures in the first movement, motoric, driving movements in the third are obvious evocations of water. And the content and the literary level are easy to discover. The “tremolo of the four timpaniâ€, which was amongst Janácek’s first inspirations, appears in the second movement. It is not difficult to retrace in it the fate of the drowning bather. The oboe enters lamentoso towards the end of the movement over timpani playing tremolo, its descending figure is taken over by the flute, then upper strings and intensified considerably. The motif of drowning – Lola’s despair – returns again in the fourth movement in the clarinet, before the work ends abruptly and dramatically.One special effect is the use of a soprano voice in the motor-driven third movement. The singer vocalises mainly in parallel with the solo oboe, but also in dialogue with other parts such as the viola d’amore, which Janácek used in several late works as a sort of “voice of loveâ€.
About Barenreiter Urtext
What can I expect from a Barenreiter Urtext edition?
MUSICOLOGICALLY SOUND - A reliable musical text based on all available sources - A description of the sources - Information on the genesis and history of the work - Valuable notes on performance practice - Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions ... AND PRACTICAL - Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them - A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format - Excellent print quality - Superior paper and binding
SKU: GI.G-007104
UPC: 641151071046. English. Text by David Wright. Scripture: Mt 13.
This engaging, rhythmically lively two-part choral anthem was born of the creative collaboration of composer Jim Clemens and author David Wright. David‚ words are based on Matthew 13, and Jim‚ colorful text painting gives the work a captivating dance-like character ideal for your children‚ or mixed choir. The memorable motif on the Kingdom‚ appears in the voices, keyboard, and bells, you'll probably catch yourself singing it during the normal course of your day.
SKU: BT.PWM5447
''Stabat Mater'' by Karol Szymanowski for solo voices, chorus and orchestra, Op. 53, is one of the most famous and, at the same time, most personal works of the composer, making its appeal to the audience through the depth of its expression and sheer artistry. The first sketches of the work were made in the spring of 1925, while work on the full score occupied the composer from 20 January to 2 March 1926. Józef Jankowskis Polish translation of the medieval sequence formed the basis of the composition. This text, which was simple in a folk-like way, devoid of pathos but full of religious zeal, harmonized perfectly from the poetic point of view with the composers creative design. In an interview for the monthly Muzyka Szymanowski stated: ''in its Polish vestments that eternal, naive hymn was filled for me with its own immediate expressive content; it became something painted in colours which were recognisable and comprehensible as distinct from the black and white of the archaic original'' (''A Footnote to Stabat Mater'', Muzyka 1926, Nos. 11/12). In the score, the Latin text is given beside the Polish text, making it possible for the work to be performed more easily by foreign performers. In this work, the universal tradition of the Christian church was fused with the Polish religious tradition. The composer creates the religious folk-like climate primarily through the character of the melodies which are akin to to the plainchant melodies to the text of Stabat Mater (the sequence, and especially the hymn) and their paraphrases in Polish religious songs (e.g. Sta a Matka Bole ciwa [The Dolorous Mother was standing]) as well as motifs from Polish Lenten songs and Gorzkie ale (Bitter Laments). Szymanowski did not introduce them as quotations, but intersperses the melodic lines, which are more fully developed and frequently highly chromatic, with diatonic phrases, based on modal scales. They appear in all the movements of the work determining its cohesion. In dividing the twenty-stanza text into separate segments, Szymanowski created a six- movement cantata. He took care to distinguish between the emotional shades of the various movements, varying his selection of solo voices (soprano, contralto, baritone), the voices of the chorus (female or mixed) and the orchestral forces. In the first and third movements the lyrical idiom prevails; the first movement, portraying the Mother of God at the foot of the cross, has a narrative character, whereas the third is a kind of prayer from a man who sympathizes with, and who wishes to be associated with Mater Dolorosas pain. In these movements only the female voices are used (soprano, contralto and female chorus), while the orchestra is employed in a chamber style, sometimes drawing on solo accompanying parts (e.g. the beginning of the third movement). The fourth movement, which continues the mood of prayerful contemplation, is designed for soprano and contralto solo as well as unaccompanied chorus. On the other hand, the second and fifth movements, involving the participation of solo baritone and the full chorus and orchestra, are similar with regard to forces and their dramatic character, which is austere in expression, harsh in tone, and markedly dissonant. Here grand climaxes appear with powerful orchestral tutti. The sixth movement crowns the whole. The lyrical, soft melody of the solo soprano at the beginning is gradually strengthened by the addition of the female chorus and the solo contralto, and in the final section, the solo baritone as well as the tutti of chorus and orchestra. The conclusion, subdued and full of concentration, suggests the introvert character of the experience as opposed to its dramatic pathos. Stabat Mater by Szymanowski is part of a long tradition of compositions based on the text of the medieval sequence - ranging from polyphonic works by Josquin des Prés and Palestrina to the romantic Stabat by Giuseppe Verdi and Anton n Dvo ák. And it was perhaps because of his consciousness of this tradition that Szymanowski used stylizing devices in the spirit of early music. The archaization manifests itself not only in the character of the melodies and their modal framework, but also in the harmonies (with their predominance of triads, open fourths and fifths chords and doubled thirds), the simple rhythms as well as the texture of the choruses (esp. the fourth movement). The composer does not, however, imitate the style of any specific historical epoch, but combines resources taken from early music with modern tonal and harmonic techniques. Archaization in Stabat Mater serves, moreover, a symbolic function; in evoking the many-centuries old tradition of church music, it emphasizes the universal nature of the idea contained in the text of the sequence, while the re-reading of the text by the composer gives the work its individual features. [Zofia Helman, translated by Ewa Cholewka].
SKU: HL.49016219
ISBN 9790001146449. UPC: 884088202538. 9.0x12.0x0.195 inches.
The chiaroscuro-technique developed by painters of the Italian renaissance served to intensify contrasts and effects of optical depth. In Klar/Obskur, I tried to transfer the general idea of this technique on the rather unusual instrumentation of two double-reed woodwinds and piano. On the one hand, a clear, well articulated playing is characteristic for these instruments, on the other hand, they have an often underestimated potential of 'twilight': air-sounds and fragile, shady colours have a especially attractive when being produced by double-reed instruments (which are often, and superficially regarded as being less capable of differentiated sounds than flute or clarinet). The piano, too, has a broad bandwidth of possibilities between percussive and delicate playing to complement the woodwinds which, in return, can absorb and continue the fading piano sounds.The beginning introduces the two contrasting elements that form the basic material for the piece: a clear, sharp chord, followed by fragile, dim sounds. The changes between these elements as well as their combination and amalgamation produce an enormous spectrum of colours and gesture. After this 'motto-like' opening follow four quite clearly separated short sections, each of them being characterised by a well-defined texture: a partly almost imperceptible air-sound passage, a short sequence of microintervallic notes, a burst of virtuosity and a recourse to the fragile sounds of the beginning.The second, longer main part consists of three sections merging subtly into each other: a short unisono-passage, marked elastic [federnd], is being dissolved into its basic elements; from these remainders, a confrontation of low, 'arcane' bassoon and piano sounds and a strongly ornamented melodic line of the oboe emerges, leading to a short but powerful climax. The piece is concluded by an extended, relaxed epilogue, containing a short piano solo and a duet of oboe and bassoon and, finally, a quotation of the 'elastic' character of the middle section.Benjamin Schweitzer.
