House, The
Michael Wittgraf
About this work:
The House
by Michael Wittgraf
text by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Program Notes
The House was commissioned by the University of North Dakota Music Department on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of its annual Honor Festival. I chose this text by Emerson to pay tribute to the achievements of the participants in this Honor Festival. They, like the Muse of the poem, have proceeded with great effort and care to arrive at their respective outstanding levels of musicianship.
The music is in three large sections with an introduction that reappears in the middle of the work. I have taken the liberty of repeating stanzas and lines of the poetry to achieve the desired musical effect. The first stanza occupies the introduction, which is slow. The first main section takes the listener through stanzas 2, 3, and 4. The music here is in a minor key, steadfast and resolute in its character, reflecting the nature of the Muse. This character is also evident in the Emerson’s reference to strong wood and stone.
The first stanza returns in a reiteration of the introduction, after which the music moves to a major key with minor inflections for the setting of stanza 6. The mood is calm and the music is hymnlike. The text uses music as a metaphor for the underlying structure and strength of the Muse’s creations.
For the final stanza, the music returns to the resolute section of stanzas 2, 3, and 4, this time in a major key with minor inflections as found during stanza 6. This final section functions as a musical crescendo to the final cadence. The text reveals the purpose of the Muse’s care and efforts, bringing the work to a triumphant and hopeful close.
Version: Choir, Band, and Orchestra
Year composed: 2004
Duration: 00:08:00
Ensemble type: Unspecified Instrument(s):Ensemble
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: SATB Choir, Orchestra, and Concert Band (Massed Forces)