CREATING
THE "BLACK RIVER SUITE" FOR ORCHESTRA:
How
do you - through music - depict the gradual freezing of a world
as the Glacial Age begins? How
do you depict the thaw and the subsequent burgeoning of plants?
Anna
Rubin worked with award-winning poet Lynn Powell, and made use
of a primary text and research material in working with area children
to create the "Black River Suite" for orchestra, in five movements;
one movement is a an electronic rap for voices and tape, performed
by members of NOYO, Ohio Dance Theatre, the MAD Factory, Choral
Spectrum and the Oberlin Choristers.
THE
FIRST MOVEMENT:
THE
CREATION OF THE GREAT LAKES
"The
first narration sets up the geological formation of the area and
the creation of the Great Lakes. This first movement includes
the youth chorus; their text was written partly by the children
with Lynn Powell's assistance. I was striving to create two things:
a sense of the sweep of this history and a congenial setting for
the children's chorus.
"To
create that 'sweep,' I worked with constant, somewhat whimsical
rhythmic patterns, in keeping with the poetry of the children,
along with flowing melodies."
THE
SECOND MOVEMENT:
THE
COMING OF THE GLACIERS
"The
second movement depicts the coming of the glaciers - without text
- and within it I tried to write the coldest music I could, using
big block chords, lots of brass, and only small melodic fragments.
Gradually, the second movement gets softer and softer as I try
to evoke the Glacial period."
THE
THIRD MOVEMENT:
THE
BURGEONING OF THE PLANT WORLD
"The
third movement is the one movement that includes dance: the narration
which precedes it describes the wonderful burgeoning of the plant
world and the introduction of the indigenous peoples of the area.
Musically, it is achieved as a gentle melodic section emphasizing
flute and harp."
THE
FOURTH MOVEMENT:
THE
ONSLAUGHT OF CIVILIZATION
"The
fourth movement brings us right up to modern times. I composed
a percussive rap for voices and tape that offers a delightful
rhythmic text that, in a short space of a couple minutes, depicts
the onslaught of machines and civilization. The taped percussive
parts include sounds of industry and the modern world: drills,
traffic, sirens, and four members of the NOYO provide the rapping."
THE
FIFTH MOVEMENT:
A
CALL TO CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF THE WATERSHED
"The
final movement sums up the piece with a gentle call to listeners
to treasure and preserve this precious resource - the Black River
watershed - and includes the voices of Choral Spectrum. The tone
of this section is more solemn and at the same time, celebratory,
making use of chorale-like sections, brass, fanfares and full
orchestral chorale text."
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