Here's something you might be interested in.
As promised, we’re going to look closer at When David Heard by Eric Whitacre.
According to Whitacre’s website:
“The text, one single, devastating sentence, is from the King James Bible; II Samuel, 18:33:”
‘When David heard that Absalom was slain he went up into his chamber over the gate and wept, my son, my son, O Absalom my son, would God I had died for thee!’
“Setting this text was such a lonely experience, and even now just writing these words I am moved to tears. I wrote maybe 200 pages of sketches, trying to find the perfect balance between sound and silence, always simplifying, and by the time I finished a year later I was profoundly changed. Older, I think, and quieted a little. I still have a hard time listening to the recording.”
Eric Whitacre was all of 29-years-old when this piece was premiered. I am blown away at the emotional and spiritual depth of this music from a composer in his twenties who was born in Reno--of all places.
If we explore Eric Whitacre’s music further we find a contemporary, social-media savvy, composer we can believe in. His music is free of pretentiousness and any desire to be cutting edge.
Whitacre writes music that people can love. What a sell-out.
He has set the poems of E. E. Cummings, Kipling, James Joyce, Yeats, Emily Dickinson, Garcia Lorca and others. He has also set the children’s book Goodnight Moon with soprano Hila Plitmann.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy8Amut53qw
Whitacre’s “virtual choirs” on YouTube have become international phenomenons of collaborative music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyLX2cke-Lw
As promised, we’re going to look closer at When David Heard by Eric Whitacre.
According to Whitacre’s website:
“The text, one single, devastating sentence, is from the King James Bible; II Samuel, 18:33:”
‘When David heard that Absalom was slain he went up into his chamber over the gate and wept, my son, my son, O Absalom my son, would God I had died for thee!’
“Setting this text was such a lonely experience, and even now just writing these words I am moved to tears. I wrote maybe 200 pages of sketches, trying to find the perfect balance between sound and silence, always simplifying, and by the time I finished a year later I was profoundly changed. Older, I think, and quieted a little. I still have a hard time listening to the recording.”
Eric Whitacre was all of 29-years-old when this piece was premiered. I am blown away at the emotional and spiritual depth of this music from a composer in his twenties who was born in Reno--of all places.
If we explore Eric Whitacre’s music further we find a contemporary, social-media savvy, composer we can believe in. His music is free of pretentiousness and any desire to be cutting edge.
Whitacre writes music that people can love. What a sell-out.
He has set the poems of E. E. Cummings, Kipling, James Joyce, Yeats, Emily Dickinson, Garcia Lorca and others. He has also set the children’s book Goodnight Moon with soprano Hila Plitmann.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yy8Amut53qw
Whitacre’s “virtual choirs” on YouTube have become international phenomenons of collaborative music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyLX2cke-Lw