Hello Everyone,
I hope that all of you are healthy and safe during this difficult time.
When the COVID-19 lock down was first instituted,I got busy practicing my instrument and exploring new repertoire. But gradually, the gravity of the situation with the pandemic sunk in, and George Floyd was murdered. This raised questions about the role of artists in society, along with the difficult question of how to nurture classical music during the pandemic?
What music speaks to the current zeitgeist and meets the requirements of the Health Departments and Musician’s Union for masks and distancing? Fortunately, I’ve been conducting a high-quality professional chamber orchestra for a dozen years now. Our commitment to diverse music from the classic-to-cutting edge allowed me to pursue adventuresome programming, some of which is perfect now.
Because I’m working on an English singing translation, Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 14, Op. 135 came to mind. It’s a song-cycle symphony in 11 movements on texts by Federico García Lorca, Guillaume Apollinaire, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Wilhelm Küchelbecker for solo soprano, solo baritone, strings (6.4.4.3.2), and three percussionists. Shostakovich thought it was his greatest work. It is a “protest against death,” especially premature and violent death, such as that suffered by some of the poets. I’m mulling over the idea of doing it again and I want to encourage others to consider programming this amazing work. It certainly speaks to the situation of racial injustice in our time. It pairs nicely with Bach, something comforting after the dark work. Oh, and I’m probably available to conduct it!
Other music on my desk includes Jessica Montgomery’s Starburst and Strum, both for string orchestra, she writes fabulously for strings. Gabriela Lena Frank’s work Leyendas: An Andean Walkabout for string orchestra was a huge hit on our last concert, as was William Grant Still’s Panamanian Dances, and Rudy Perrault’s Exodus (Rudy is a Haitian colleague). Exodus is dedicated to all those forced to leave their homelands, a timely subject. In this work, the dark reflections are atonal, the yearnings are in beautiful C Major, and the memories of better times are set in a Caribbean rhythm.
Other works that seem perfect for our time include Jeffrey Nytch’s Concerto for Violin and Strings: Costa Concordia. Commissioned by Pro Musica Colorado Chamber Orchestra for Edward Dusinberre. 6-4-4-4-3 (minimum) / 1 perc. / harp / vln. solo. A work that reflects on the capsize of the Costa Concordia. 32 passengers and crew perished. Among these was Hungarian violinist Sandor Fehér, a member of the ship’s orchestra who was reported by survivors to have assisted numerous children with their life-jackets and helping them board lifeboats before returning to his cabin to retrieve his violin. There’s a demo recording for Parma Records. Richard Einhorn’s blockbuster Voices of Light, oratorio for the Passion of Joan of Arc silent film is stunning and heart wrenching, depicting steadfast faith in the face of obvious injustice. But I also feel that this is a time that needs Bach, any and all Bach.
These are my thoughts as move ahead, tentatively, into a world that has shifted. A world that calls for us artists to respond, as we do, on multiple levels. It also serves a a short summary of my work in recent years.
Please let me know how you are doing and where your artistic, and logistical, instincts are leading you. at this time.
All best,
Cynthia