STARFIRES, Orchestral Cycle With Mezzo, Tenor
Harold Blumenfeld
About this work:
STARFIRES was composed under the spell of Pauline Hanson's galactic Star Poems while composer was at Yaddo, where she served on its staff.
It is scored for mezzo and tenor soli, with orchestra of brass, percussion and strings. Taking their cue from the poetry, vocal parts are - at times - meteoric, requiring virtuoso singers.
>Former Pub.MMB Music, now closed. Inc: Published by COMPOSER: blumenf@wustl.edu
Score: $60.
Sample SCORE PAGES available on site.
TEXT EXCERPT from third and final part of work:
"TO SEE WHAT IT IS IS TO SEE HOW IN A MILLION YEARS OF THIS DARKNESS A STAR STRUGGLES FROM DUST TO LUMINESCENCE;
IS TO SEE HOW AFTERWARDS IT SHINES BY CONSUMING ITSELF, IS TO SEE HOW IT AGES THEN, AND HOW IT DIES AND IS ITSELF
THE DUST FROM WHICH STARS ARE BORN.
AND TO SEE THROUGH TELESCOPES
MORE THAN A BILLION, AND BEYOND TELESCOPES AND BEYOND NUMBERS, YET MORE
OF THESE BLAZING WORLDS OF GAS -
TO SEE THEM IN THE TERRIBLE ATOMIC WINDS
SPIN AND SPIRAL AND SPILL, WHITE,
VIOLET, PURPLE, BLOOD-RED, AND OUT,
OUT INTO BLACK, IS TO THINK:
AND IN EVERYWHERE THE MOVEMENT AND FLOW
OF ALWAYS THAT ENERGY, OUR OWN BODIES HAVE THEIR BREATH, HAVE THEIR SIGHT AND THOUGHT AND HAVE THIS SLOW
UNTIL THIS SUDDEN WISH OF WORDS."
Year composed: 1975
Duration: 00:21:00
Ensemble type: Orchestra:Orchestra with Soloist(s)
Instrumentation: 3 Horn in F, 1 Trumpet, 1 Timpani, 3 Percussion (General), 1 Celesta, 6 Viola, 4 Cello, 3 Double bass, 1 Harp, ,1 Mezzo-Soprano soloist(s), ,1 Tenor soloist(s)
Instrumentation notes: Exceptional singers required.
Percussion called for:
metal blocks, 10 crotales, chimes, vibraphone, dobachi (temple bell), large gong, large tam, 3 cymb, 7 handbells, snare drum, 4 tuned crystal glasses, castagnettes, 3 wood blocks, maracas, marimba. timpani.
Piano also plays celesta.