Holocaust 1944
Lori Laitman
About this work:
Holocaust 1944, for baritone voice and double bass, was composed for the incomparable virtuoso doublebassist Gary Karr. I had planned for many years to compose a piece for Gary (who was once my husband's bass teacher) and I searched extensively for an appropriate theme. I had already composed one Holocaust song cycle, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, for soprano voice and alto saxophone, and when a second Holocaust cycle came into creative focus, I chose poetry with a darker tone, suited to the darker timbres of a baritone voice and a double bass.
The seven poems I used in this cycle were chosen from the book, Holocaust Poetry, edited by Hilda Schiff and published by St. Martin's Griffin in New York. The texts are by Tadeusz Rózewicz (Poland), Anne Ranasinghe (Sri Lanka), Karen Gershon (England), David Vogel (Russia), and Jerzy Ficowski (Poland). Ms. Ranasinghe, Mr. Rózewicz, and Mr. Ficowski are still living.
In I Did Not Manage to Save, the bass opens the cycle with an extended solo, then the voice enters with its mournful melody. The song is roughly divided into two parts, one a variation of the other. Triplets are used in the "wandering" section, and the mounting rhythms under the "run to help" section deepen the pain of the words, leading to the climax of the piece.
The bass sets the tone again in How Can I See You, Love. Once the voice enters, the song becomes an almost canonic duet. The harmonies shift dramatically at the end as the baritone sings "through the pale mists of childhood.”
Both Your Mothers tells the true story of the poet's wife. The musical sections display various bass techniques--glissandi, harmonics, double stops, and tremolo. The opening theme returns at the end with contrasting harmonies, a technique used later in the cycle.
With its repeated metric shifts and upbeat tempo, What Luck adds a much-needed touch of optimism. The bass rhythmically represents a heartbeat when the baritone sings "My heart beats so."
Perhaps the most disturbing song in this cycle is Massacre of the Boys. The poem is found in The Museum at Auschwitz, and its description of innocent children being slaughtered is almost unbearable to read. The music falls into three distinct sections. Near the end, the bass has a repeated figure that builds to a climax before the song concludes with the bass quoting the opening theme for "The children cried ‘Mummy!"
Race provides a respite between the darkness of the preceding and following songs. The bass uses pizzicato throughout, and the setting creates the impression of a folk song. The phrase "When I returned to my hometown" serves as a bridge between the two main sections and also closes the song.
Holocaust 1944 by Anne Ranasinghe gives the cycle its name. The song is spare and somewhat dissonant in its setting. A quote of the Sabbath blessing melody leads into a lusher harmonic section as the singer recalls happier times. A return to the sparser melodic and harmonic construction leads to the repetition of the words "I weep," ending the cycle.
The Holocaust was the defining moment in the lives of these five writers. Their poems allow us to identify with their collective experience, making the horror of the Holocaust seem immediate and real. Their works teach the lesson of the Holocaust to a new generation, heroically declaring "Never again."
Version: baritone voice with doublebass
Year composed: 1998
Duration: 00:30:00
Ensemble type: Voice, Solo or With Chamber or Jazz Ensemble:Solo Voice with One Non-keyboard Instrument
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation notes: The bass part to the score comes in 2 versions: regular tuning (C) and solo tuning (D). For reasons of resonance, the D version is my preferred version, but both work. The score is available for sale through Classical Vocal Reprints, at 1-800-298-7474. Please specify which bass key you'd like when ordering.