La Storia d'una Vita
Brian Rice
About this work:
This work is dedicated to my Grandfather, Richard Hardwicke Rice, who passed away on March 22, 2004. He was eighty-nine years old, a veteran of World War II, a retired naval officer, and a wonderful person. Each movement represents a stage of life and is loosely based on events in his life. In the first movement a theme is born and then varied in the other movements according to the stage of life.
Movement 1 depicts youth and our growth into adulthood. The theme of the work is chiseled out of the music and stated at the end of the movement. The different canons in each voice (Clarinet and Flute: at the unison, Oboe: crab canon at the unison, Bassoon: inverted canon at the unison) create the growing pains that we all go through in our youth. As time goes by, we begin to become our own person and are able to deal with the curve balls that life throws.
Movement 2 represents the turbulent middle years of our lives, and more specifically my Grandfather’s experiences serving in World War II. The movement is in a distorted march form (a slow introduction instead of a fanfare; change of meters throughout the piece; the Trio section is martial and not lyrical; lots of tempi changes; the initial key does not return until the final nine measures) and is split into two large sections: the building of aggression and a martial response.
Movement 3 is a reaction to the events that we wish we could redo, or forget. The singers plead, “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us,” twice and finish, “Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, grant us peace.”
Movement 4 portrays old age, our last hurrah. The cello and bass state a varied form of the theme that gradually stretches out by rhythmically slowing down, while the violin and the viola play memories. The recurring violin-viola duet is a memory that we never forget and reflect upon often.
Movement 5 is a funeral march that processes at a deliberate pace and builds to a terrible climax that is released as we leave this world for the next. A quartet begins to sing “Eternal Father, strong to save” (the Navy Hymn), and with each new verse another quartet joins the singers in a tribute to my Grandfather.
Year composed: 2004
Duration: 00:25:30
Ensemble type: Voice, Solo or With Chamber or Jazz Ensemble:Two or more Solo Voices with Large Chamber/Jazz Ensemble (10 +)
Instrumentation: 1 Flute, 1 Oboe, 1 Clarinet, 1 Bassoon, 1 Horn in F, 1 Trumpet, 1 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Violin, 1 Viola, 1 Cello, 1 Double bass, 1 Soprano, 1 Alto, 1 Tenor, 1 Bass
Instrumentation notes: All parts are intended to be solo