ONLY DARKNESS AND SHADOWS

for soprano and orchestra



This work for soprano and orchestra has originally been composed in 2003 for SOPRANO AND ENSEMBLE, a commission of the Concertgebouw Bruges.
In 2004 this work was orchestrated for winds, piano, percussion and string orchestra. 
In 2010 the composer made a version for SOPRANO AND PIANO.

The work contains five songs composed on Estonian poems by Triin Soomets which all evocate a different athmosphere.The whole songcycle is based on contrasting elements.

The first song ‘Only darkness and shadows...’ starts with a dark mysterious  and low sound, evolving to a coloristic almost spectral sound. A rhythmical ostinato ends this song.

The second song ‘I remain glittering in your eye...’ has a playful almost dance-like character.

The third song ‘For centuries...’ is an ironic almost cabaretlike song which has a repetitive musical structure.

The fourth song ‘Come to my grave...’ is a sarcastic, dark and sinister musical evocation.
In the second part of this song the athmosphere is becoming more introspective, ending with a chorale for the horn and the bassoon. This song ends with a descending lamento bass line.

The fifth song ‘And I am there...’ is an ethereal musical evocation where time and space are disappearing.

The work is based on very strict serial techniques to organize the musical material.




RECORDINGS

Available with Wim Henderickx

SCORE

Norsk Musikforlag (publisher)





INSTRUMENTATION / EXTRA INFORMATION

for soprano and orchestra
(Text by Triin Soomets)
(transcription of the version for soprano and ensemble)
commissioned by the Beethoven Academie
(+/- 15’)
Instrumentation: soprano / 1, 1, 1, 1 / 1, 1, 1, 0 / perc (1 pl) / pno / strings
first performance: November 10, 2004 at de Singel in Antwerp (BE)
Beethoven Academie, cond. Tonu Kaljuste
Anu Komsi, soprano






RETROSPECTRE