long ago, this radiant day
Dan Coleman
About this work:
"A gorgeous lyric hymn" Albany Times Union
The title "long ago, this radiant day" is derived from a poem by Anna Akhmatova. In "The Sentence," the Russian poet shows us that tragedy or loss can help us clarify our notion of happiness. Dark emotions can be transformed into regenerative energy.
A musical work can undergo an analogous change of mood-- progressing from dark ambiguity to ebullient clarity, and finally to a serene rest-- while maintaining an essential, unchanging profile. This work is based on motifs found in both György Ligeti's "Lux Aeterna" and Benjamin Britten's Third String Quartet, pieces which deal overtly with death and loss. I was gratified when I realized my subconscious had linked the work's architecture to its emotional impetus.
"Long ago, this radiant day" is scored for fifteen solo strings, and is in one, fifteen minute movement. It was commissioned in 1993 by Scott Yoo for Metamorphosen, and appears on the orchestra's 1996 debut recording on Albany Records. The piece was revised in 2001 in preparation for a national performance tour.
Version: rev. 2001
Year composed: 1994
Duration: 00:15:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:String Orchestra
Instrumentation: 9 Violin, 3 Viola, 2 Cello, 1 Double bass
Instrumentation notes: 9 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, 1 bass.
Significant solos for violin, viola, cello.