Bernard Rands’ Music in New York, Illinois, & Texas

This month three works of Bernard Rands each representing different stages of the composer’s remarkable career make their way to concert halls in three different regions of the US. On November 1, the Slee Sinfonietta performed Rands’ “now again”-fragments from Sappho at the University at Buffalo in New York, led by Gil Rose; November 3 saw Douglas Stotter lead the performance of Rands’ wind ensemble piece Ceremonial at the University of Texas at Arlington; and finally on November 30 the Contemporary Ensemble of Northwestern University presents the composer’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Canti del Sole, from his magnificent Canti Trilogy, at the university campus in Evanston, IL.

Premiered by Philadelphia’s Network for New Music in 2007 and available on their Albany recording Now Again – Music by Bernard Rands, fragments from Sappho features a dialogue between the mezzo-soprano and voices from the ensemble spun from texts by the ancient Greek poet Sappho. Modal evocations with delicate, lyrical interplay throughout the ensemble are interspersed by vocal fragments to paint a vivid portrait of Sappho and her ancient world. Gil Rose led the Slee Sinfonietta through the performance at Lippes Concert Hall in Buffalo. Rands also appeared as guest lecturer at Baird Hall of the University at Buffalo Music Department on November 2.

Composed in 1992 on a commission from H. Robert Reynolds and the University of Michigan Symphony Band, Ceremonial is a sound study of various combinations of wind instruments. In its monothematic framework, a single melody is passed between increasingly dense and complex instrument combinations to brilliant effect. The Boston Globe remarked following a past performance, “Ceremonial made the strongest impression, an example of minimalism at its most emotionally resonant and generous minded. Its atmosphere is strong and dark and its orchestration shows the hand of a master.”

Part of Rands’ lauded Canti Trilogy, a series of vocal works revolving around the celestial themes of sun, moon and eclipse, Canti del Sole won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983 and features a unique text setting from 14 different sources in all. The two works which complete the trilogy, Canti dell’Eclisse for bass and orchestra, and Canti Lunatici for soprano and orchestra, also utilize such an expansive textual setting. The Contemporary Ensemble of Northwestern University presents Canti del Sole in its chamber version.

More on the life and work of Bernard Rands can be found at www.bernardrands.com and his Composer Profile.

Purchase Now Again - Music by Bernard Rands at www.amazon.com.

Bernard Rands
“now again”-fragments from Sappho (2006)
for mezzo-soprano and ensemble
text by Sappho
fl(afl).cl(bcl)-tpt-perc-hp-vn.va.vc. soprano voice, alto voice
17’

Canti del Sole (1984)
for tenor and chamber ensemble
texts from Baudelaire, Celan, Huchel, Montale, Wilfred Owen, Quasimodo, Rimbaud, Sinisgalli, Dylan Thomas, Ungaretti and an anonymous poet of the 12th century
 fl(pic.afl).cl(Ebcl.bcl).tpt.2perc-pno-vn.va.vc
30’
full orchestration: 3.2.3.2-3.3.3.0-3perc-2hp.cel.pno.elec org-str

Ceremonial (1993)
for wind ensemble
pic.2.1.ca.3.bcl.2asax.tsax.barsax.1.cbsn-4.3.3.euph.1-timp.5perc
13'