Songtree, by Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon скачать в хорошем качестве

Songtree, by Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon

Songtree is an extended song cycle that sets poetry by Raúl Aceves and William Shakespeare. The latter is a fundamental figure in English literature who requires no introduction here. Aceves, on the other hand, is scarcely known to English readers. He is a contemporary author living in Guadalajara, México, who is best known for penning whimsical aphorisms that encapsulate profound observations about the human experience. His writing style is crisp, efficient, and direct. In my mind, what connects two such authors, belonging to completely different times and places, are shared thematic threads that run through their poems. Of particular note is the link between love, nostalgia, and art. Perhaps I also sought the fractures created by the disparate languages, styles, and sensibilities of these two authors: I believe that these disparities energized my own creativity, and enabled me to forge new paths in my music. As its name suggests, Songtree came into being organically, over a long period of time. The initial song was composed in the fall of 2012, while the last one was finished in the winter of 2017. The gradual growth of this tree meant that some of its branches appeared before others. By branches, I refer to individual songs, or group of songs, that saw the light of day either independently (Night), as a set (Sones de tierra fría), or as part of other works (the second act of the opera Don’t blame anyone…) before the entire Songtree was completed. These branches may still be performed independently of the whole. However, I believe that they find greater expression when performed together in Songtree. The songs and interludes that form Songtree stem from a primordial set of linear and harmonic archetypes. These archetypes continuously re-configure, to generate a musical network that is somewhat akin to an unfolding set of variations. At the same time, the form of the work is articulated and bound by a complex symmetric design. This is particularly apparent in the organization of the overall orchestration, but it is also reflected in the distribution of texts, as well as in structural features of the music. Songtree may continue to grow under the drizzle of more poetry. If so, its form will change as new branches grow into place.