Abgang and Kaddish Quartet
Composer: Ellen Taaffe Zwilich
Publisher: Theodore Presser Company
$35.00
| Movement/Section | Duration: 12.5 |
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From the composer:
' I have long been intrigued by the instrumentation of Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time. When I was a young composer and violinist in New York City, three friends and I even thought about starting an ensemble of Piano, Violin, Cello, and Clarinet like the Messiaen.
Many years later, when I first thought about writing this piece, I was struck by the difference between being a prisoner of war and being sent to a concentration camp. Messiaen's Quartet was written when he was a prisoner of war during World War II. After his release in 1941, he returned to Paris and continued his vital and long-lasting musical life.
The German word "Abgang" has an innocent meaning of "exit," but the Nazis used it as a signal that concentration camp prisoners were there to be sent off and murdered.
My first movement, Abgang, is based on two musical fragments. It begins with a quote of a Hebraic melody that Viktor Ullmann used as a basis for variations in his Piano Sonata No. 7 that he was working on while in Theresienstadt. Next is a short quote* of a fox trot that was arranged by a composer (only identified by his prisoner-number) for performance in Auschwitz. What follows is a purely musical, but deeply personal exploration.
After finishing the movement, I felt it necessary to add a second movement, Kaddish, which is a prayer recited in mourning, without a single mention of death, but celebrating God, peace, and life. The Kaddish appears in the score and parts in an English translation (along with some Aramaic). It is not meant to be spoken or sung, but to guide the performers in giving meaning to the musical phrases.*Includes portions of the work entitled "Die schönst Zeit des Lebens," courtesy of Edition Tonart c/o Puma Musikverlag GmbH '
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Performer / Ensemble Link Comments -
Pages: 5
Pages (score): 16
Publisher Code: 14440728
UPC: 680160680047
ISBN: 9781491136607
ISMN:
Length: 30.5 cm
Width: 22.8 cm
Thickness: 0.293 cm
Weight: 178 g
