Breathless - Cantata on Ancient Mystical Texts

Breathless - Cantata on Ancient Mystical Texts

Quick View

Scoring & Instrumentation
soprano (and/or mezzo-soprano), 'cello, and guitar quartet (plus optional 5-voice "madrigal" group)
Alternate Title

-

Year Authored (or revised)
Duration (min)
31
Movements

-

Files & Media

Audio

-

Video
Sample Pages

-

Detail

Description

I – Fakhruddin Iraqi (Sufi; 1211-1289) – O minstrel… [Introduction]
II – Sisupacala (Buddhist; 6th century B.C.) – On fire is all the world
III – Lao-Tsu (Taoist; 604-570 B.C.) – Touch ultimate emptiness [Introduction]
IV – Mechthild of Magdeburg (Beguine Christian; 1207-1294) – Set me afire
V – Quasmuna (Jewish; Granada; 11th c.) – Gazelle in my Garden
VI – Teresa of Avila (Catholic Christian; 1515-1582) – My Beloved
VII – Kabir (Hindu/Sikh/Sufi; 1440-1518) – This is the music [Recitative & Finale]

Comments

Composer's note: This seven-part cantata - commissioned in 2012 by the Kharkov Guitar Quartet - consists of settings of mystical texts from devotees of various world spiritual traditions; including Buddhism, Christianity (2), Hinduism, Judaism, Sufism, and Taoism.

The cantata should be performed in its entirety. However --- Two of its sections are published separately: "O minstrel..." (voice & 1 guitar) and "Gazelle in My Garden" (voice & 2 guitars) and may be performed individually, apart from the cantata. The other five parts may not be extracted for separate performance.

The vocal ensemble sections in Parts VI & VII are intended to be sung by the instrumentalists themselves, but it my be desirable/preferable to substitute a group of trained singers instead.

First Perfomance
June 2, 4, 6, 2016 in Kharkov, Zhitomir, and Kiev [Ukraine] - by Anna Bychkova, Viktor Rekalo, and the Kharkov Guitar Quartet (Sergey Gorkusha, Maxim Trianov, Irina Polovinka, Andrey Bragin)
Recording

-

Text Language - Non English

-

Text Source/Author
Fakhruddin Iraqi (Sufi; 1211-1289); Sisupacala (Buddhist; 6th century B.C.); Lao-Tsu (Taoist; 604-570 B.C.); Mechthild of Magdeburg (Beguine Christian; 1207-1294); Quasmuna (Jewish; Granada; 11th c.); Teresa of Avila (Catholic Christian; 1515-1582); Kabir (Hindu/Sikh/Sufi; 1440-1518) - set in free translations by the composer.
Title Number
Ensemble Type
solo voice(s)+2 to 6 instruments
Instrumentalist(s) speak or perform text
Genre/Theme

-

Instrument
Soprano , Mezzo-Soprano , cello , guitar acoustic classical
Purchase Options
PDF License & Download
PDF Price
Print & Ship
$86.50 score with 5 parts