Program:
1. un polvo màs
2. the light
3. of wind and water
4. [alaska.]
5. what she doesn't know/webernstanz
6. bone powder & spanish moss / le frou-frou
7. lilas
Scoring: soprano solo, countertenor solo, flute (doubling picc.), oboe (doubling eng. hn.), clarinet (doubling
Eb Cl., Bs. Cl., Cb. Cl.), Saxophone (doubling Soprano,
alto & bari.), Bassoon (doubling contra.), Trumpet, Bass Trombone, 2 percussion [I. Crotales*,
Glockenspiel, Bass drum, Tamtam, Crash cymbals, Medium suspended
cymbal, Large suspended cymbal, 3 Suspended railroad stakes,
Small triangle, 5 Temple blocks, Sandpaper blocks, Small
Maracs, Plastic (toy) rattle, Guiro, Metal washboard, Whip,
Lion’s roar, Trap set** (Kick drum, Piccolo Snare drum,
2 Tom-toms (medium, low) , 2 Bongos (high, medium), Hi-hat,
Medium Suspended cymbal, Tambourine, Woodblock) II. Vibraphone
(with motor!), Xylophone, Marimba, Bass drum, Very small
triangle, Large triangle, Bell tree, Mark-tree, Large suspended
cymbal, Auto coil, Large woodblock, 5 Temple blocks, Small
maracas, Cabasa, Ratchet, Metal washboard, Vibraslap, Whip,
Police whistle, Waterphone, Large wooden box (such as a
timpano storage box – to be rammed with 2x4 or struck
with large heavy mallet.)], Piano (doubles Synthesizer &
Celesta; also metal music stand), Harp (doubles large ratchet),
Guitar (doubles Mandolin and Banjo; also washboard and suspended
railroad stakes), Accordion [(concert), also washtub and
suspended railroad stakes], computer-controled sampler,
2 violas (I. doubles violin), 2 violoncelli, 2 Contrabasses
Duration: 20 mins.
Libretto: Vin Calianno
Premiere:
11. February. 2004
Kilbourne Hall
Rochester, NY
Ossia
Heather Gardner - Beckett
Caleb Burhans - Webern
Vin Calianno - Conductor
Program Notes:
In 2004 I wrote Beckett, an opera during my days at the Eastman School of Music for the new music group, Ossia, from which this suite, Canciones de Sangre is derived. Originally, the opera was to be cast into three acts, which more-or-less told the same story in three different ways, with the same characters in the same place, much like the playwright Samuel Beckett did in his work (though the title of the opera takes its name from Beckett, the connection to him goes no further.) However, time was not on my side and only the central act was completed in time for the performance. The second act, Sangre, is about the demise of a psychologically unfit relationship between two heroin addicts: the heroine Beckett and her lover, the composer (picked up out of history and moved forward in time to the early 1990’s – retaining some of his autobiographical qualities (though not all)) Anton Webern.
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