Memorie
Ernesto P. Pellegrini
About this work:
The work Memorie (memories or reminiscences) falls into a special category of program music: that type which, according to Grout, is a combination of the philosophical and descriptive. Inspired by a dream, Memorie recalls particular events which took place in the composer’s childhood in Italy. The recollections are of incidents which occurred during the summer of 1944, at the peak of the war, before the Allies liberated Florence from the Germans. Two kinds of flutes – the alto and C flutes – are used in the work. After a brief and dreamy introduction, the alto flute, with its low rich tones, plays the melody “In su monte Limbara,” a Sardinian folk song chosen by the composer to portray feelings of serenity and calmness associated with peaceful family life. Although the folk song’s text does not actually relate to the overall meaning of the piece, the composer found its musical quality suitable to convey the emotional content of the passage. Basically a simple tune, it undergoes extensive elaboration throughout this initial section. In the section which follows, the work depicts wartime situations which the composer experienced during this eventful period. The flute does not play here since the folk song introduced earlier is no longer heard. Replacing it is an original idea, both foreboding and dramatic in its content. The material of this section, which is more intense in nature, all comes to a forceful climax in which the percussion is highlighted to the maximum of its power. Temporarily the opening flute melody returns to evoke the serenity of the immediate past. Then one more brief outburst recalls the tragedy experienced on an August day in 1944 when a mortar bomb fell, killing a member of the composer’s family and neighborhood children, only days before the liberation. In the rest of the section, a closing, the alto flute becomes calmer and the density of the texture becomes thinner. We are now in September 1944. War is ravaging Europe, but for the time being the allies have brought a degree of normalcy to the life of the people, and it is grape harvest time. The Tuscan folk song “La vendemmia” (the grape harvest) brought to life by the French horn, depicts a time of joyful merrymaking. It is time to rebuild that which has been destroyed and to be grateful for life and its many blessings. As the happy tune is developed by the C flute, the orchestra introduces the haunting strains of the “Dies irae,” intervening to remind us one more time of the dreadful realities of the time – of the victims of war, both living and dead. As the piece draws to a final climax, there is a sudden return of the opening introductory bars. This time another famous Gregorian sequence from the Easter season, “Victimae paschali laudes.” anticipates the return of the “Dies irae” motive and reconciles the themes of war and peace. The merry folk tune (the grape harvest) returns briefly, leaving the flute alone. As the flute concludes its short solo, the chimes play one more strain of the Easter chant, and the work comes to a close with a very loud outburst. Never stated in its entirety, the last brief presentation of the chant, exemplified by the text of the poetry attributed to Wipo, ends: “Death and life have fought in wondrous conflict; after death the leader of life, living, reigns.” First Performance: January 19, 1986. Muncie Symphony Orchestra, Leonard Atherton, Music Director. Clifford Tretick, Soloist.
Year composed: 1985
Duration: 00:18:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Orchestra with Soloist(s)
Instrumentation: 1 Piccolo, 1 Flute,1 Flute soloist(s), 2 Oboe, 2 Clarinet, 2 Bassoon, 4 Horn in F, 3 Trumpet, 3 Trombone, 1 Tuba, 1 Timpani, 3 Percussion (General), 1 Celesta, 1 Strings (General), 1 Harp
Instrumentation notes: Solo Flute: Alto and C Flutes