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River of Horses
Classical/Song • 2005 • Lyricist: folklore, Charles Pierre Baudelaire, James Wright, James Dickey
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Instrumentation |
Piano, Soprano |
Scored for |
Solo, Accompanying piano |
Type of score |
Piano-vocal score |
Publisher |
Enchanted Knickers Music |
Language |
English |
Duration |
17'0 |
This work was commissioned by soprano Jean Del Santo, and I composed it between April and November of 2005. The cycle reflects on the loving bond between humans and horses, and the healing power that can result from such a love. Due to unforeseen events for both Jean and myself, the work lay dormant for over a decade. Finally, in March and April of 2017, I unearthed the work, revising it substantially.
Baudelaire’s famous poem, La Chevelure, is adapted to serve as an ode to a horse, and the cycle begins exuberantly. A different portrait is painted in A Blessing by James Wright — of “two Indian ponies” and their loving natures. A sense of hypnotic calm is created by the piano’s repetitive accompaniment under the soprano’s soaring lines. A Birth, by James Dickey, speaks to the power of imagination and memory. The music flows with changing meters and tempi. The War God’s Horse Song , based on a traditional Navajo song, is another tribute to the majesty of horses. The music is quick and spirited, with voice and piano joyously tumbling through a multitude of meters. The cycle concludes with Two Horses Playing in the Orchard by James Wright. The vocal line is distinguished by the melismatic word settings and a wordless hummed refrain.
The premiere recording is on Naxos' Living in the Body — Songs of Lori Laitman, available on Spotify.
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