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Lachrymosa: 1919
Price:
$26.99
Description:
Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass While I was writing this piece, my goal was to create an austere, contemplative atmosphere, generally devoid of urgency or stridency. The coloring is medium to dark, the rhythms are gentle, and melodic lines are simple. "Lachrymosa" opens with a chord progression played by all the strings. Then they divide into two choirs exchanging modal harmonies over a deep pedal point. Pentatonic melodic lines in solo strings bring the first main section to a close. A short transition marked ‘piu agitato’ leads to the B section which is a lament in solo strings over dark chords in the basses. A contrapuntal section leads to a return of the modal double choir material heard at the beginning. This is followed by the original solo string writing, in a different harmonic setting. To some extent this piece is modeled on textures and techniques of choral music. The final two "Amen" chords (also heard earlier) are a principle unifying device. In approaching this piece, my first and only concern, initially, was writing a work which contrasted with the other works on the program. They were the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, and the Mahler Symphony No. 5. I already had in my portfolio many fluffy "openers" including "An American Port of Call" written especially for the Virginia Symphony ten years earlier. Also, I wanted to write a work which made few demands technically, so the players could put their time, attention, and energies on the Mahler. Therefore, I aimed for a quiet, meditative composition, limited in coloring, and subdued in emotion. Some of my musical ideas evoked within me a sense of ancient religious ritual, and other ideas reflected the style of African-American spirituals. Both, tinged with sadness, led to my decision to use the title "Lachrymosa" (a part of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead). It was a simple matter, then, to focus on 1919, 75 years ago (as of 1994). In 1919 the Virginia Symphony was on the threshold of being founded. Unfortunately, that year was also a tragic one in American history. During World War I, there had occurred a great migration of Blacks from farms in the south to factories in the north. The return of the soldiers who originally had those jobs, provided the spark for an inevitable clash. There were riots in 26 cities, and the summer of 1919 is known, in Black history, as the "Red Summer". Black troops, who had fought valiantly for democracy in Europe, returned to the United States, believing they would share in a new spirit of freedom at home. After all, they had risked their lives for it. They even dared to hope that they would experience the same respect and freedom from prejudice they had enjoyed in France. That was not to be. During 1919, 77 African-Americans "were lynched, of whom one was a woman and eleven were soldiers; of these, 14 were publicly burned, eleven of them being burned alive" ("Dusk of Dawn," W.E.B. Dubois). Some of the soldiers were hanged in their uniforms. I join with the Virginia Symphony in their joy of having been founded in 1920. Had I focused on that year, I, perhaps, could have squeezed a flippant fanfare of some sort out of myself. In Black history, however, 1919 conjures up darker and weightier matters.
Table of Contents:
Clarinet in Bb 1, Clarinet in Bb 2, Bassoon 1, Bassoon 2, Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Double Bass While I was writing this piece, my goal was to create an austere, contemplative atmosphere, generally devoid of urgency or stridency. The coloring is medium to dark, the rhythms are gentle, and melodic lines are simple. "Lachrymosa" opens with a chord progression played by all the strings. Then they divide into two choirs exchanging modal harmonies over a deep pedal point. Pentatonic melodic lines in solo strings bring the first main section to a close. A short transition marked ‘piu agitato’ leads to the B section which is a lament in solo strings over dark chords in the basses. A contrapuntal section leads to a return of the modal double choir material heard at the beginning. This is followed by the original solo string writing, in a different harmonic setting. To some extent this piece is modeled on textures and techniques of choral music. The final two "Amen" chords (also heard earlier) are a principle unifying device. In approaching this piece, my first and only concern, initially, was writing a work which contrasted with the other works on the program. They were the Poulenc Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, and the Mahler Symphony No. 5. I already had in my portfolio many fluffy "openers" including "An American Port of Call" written especially for the Virginia Symphony ten years earlier. Also, I wanted to write a work which made few demands technically, so the players could put their time, attention, and energies on the Mahler. Therefore, I aimed for a quiet, meditative composition, limited in coloring, and subdued in emotion. Some of my musical ideas evoked within me a sense of ancient religious ritual, and other ideas reflected the style of African-American spirituals. Both, tinged with sadness, led to my decision to use the title "Lachrymosa" (a part of the Roman Catholic mass for the dead). It was a simple matter, then, to focus on 1919, 75 years ago (as of 1994). In 1919 the Virginia Symphony was on the threshold of being founded. Unfortunately, that year was also a tragic one in American history. During World War I, there had occurred a great migration of Blacks from farms in the south to factories in the north. The return of the soldiers who originally had those jobs, provided the spark for an inevitable clash. There were riots in 26 cities, and the summer of 1919 is known, in Black history, as the "Red Summer". Black troops, who had fought valiantly for democracy in Europe, returned to the United States, believing they would share in a new spirit of freedom at home. After all, they had risked their lives for it. They even dared to hope that they would experience the same respect and freedom from prejudice they had enjoyed in France. That was not to be. During 1919, 77 African-Americans "were lynched, of whom one was a woman and eleven were soldiers; of these, 14 were publicly burned, eleven of them being burned alive" ("Dusk of Dawn," W.E.B. Dubois). Some of the soldiers were hanged in their uniforms. I join with the Virginia Symphony in their joy of having been founded in 1920. Had I focused on that year, I, perhaps, could have squeezed a flippant fanfare of some sort out of myself. In Black history, however, 1919 conjures up darker and weightier matters.
| Catalog: | TP116-40116S |
| Publisher: | Theodore Presser Co |
| Composer: | Adolphus Hailstork |
| Artist: | |
| Arranger: | |
| More Info: | |
| Voicing: | orchestra chamber Score |
| Level: | |
| Pages: | 22 |
116-40116S