A Composer's Journey with the poetry of Federico Garcia Lorca
Journey with the Poetry of
David Macbride has written numerous works, ranging from solo, chamber and orchestral music to music for film, TV, dance and theatre. His works have been performed extensively in the United States and abroad, including performances by the Hartford Symphony, the Arditti String Quartet, League ISCM, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, World Saxophone Congress, and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. The Royal Spanish Chamber Orchestra performed Poet in New York on its tour of Spain during the García Lorca Centennial in 1998-99.
Tim Page of Newsday writes: “In David Macbride's music, one finds technical skills of a high order, a direct lyricism that informs the most complex passages, and a personal aesthetic that combines Western chromaticism with a fascination for the music of China.” Awards include the Georges Enesco International Composition Prize, two Leo Snyder Memorial Composition Prizes sponsored by League ISCM Boston, and the Composers Inc. Prize.
Macbride has received commissions from Chamber Music America, Performers of Connecticut and the Connecticut Valley Chamber Orchestra, among others. His compositions are recorded on Concora, Hartt/Next Exit, Opus One, Owl, and True Media Recordings. A solo CD of his works is available from Composers Recordings Inc. (CRI). Alex Ross of The New York Times writes: “…Macbride achieves a remarkable balance of technical rigor and free spirited invention…Composers Recordings has done justice to a distinctive voice in American music.” Two other solo CDs entitled Conundrum: The Percussion Music of David Macbride featuring Benjamin Toth and In Common: Duets by David Macbride have been released by Innova Recordings.
Macbride is also an active pianist, having given recitals in Peru, Spain, and Mexico. He is co-founder (with Benjamin Toth) of Conundrum, a non-profit arts organization that presents concerts and recordings of musically diverse styles. Macbride is on the faculty of the Hartt School, University of Hartford.
A Composer's Journey with the Poetry of
Federico García Lorca
Having celebrated the 100th anniversary of his birth, Federico García Lorca remains one of the greatest writers of the 20th century and the most translated modern Spanish writer of all. His sensual imagery and sonorous use of the Spanish language have not only gained universal acclaim, but have also attracted numerous composers from around the world, all intent on integrating Lorca's words into their own distinct forms of musical expression.
I first discovered Lorca's work in 1977 when, as a doctoral student at Columbia University, I happened upon a second-hand copy of Poet in New York, written while Lorca himself was at Columbia in 1929-1930. To this day, I find myself coming back to his work regularly, always identifying most sympathetically with his strong sense of solitude, his omniscient manchild vision for and of the world, and, most of all, the beauty of the work itself.
Taking my cue from the subtitle, “Suite for Piano and Poet's Voice,” Night reverses the traditional relationship of voice and accompaniment. The baritone (poet's voice), with its sparse lines, actually accompanies the more continuous piano part. The poet scans the night, the night sky, the night creatures, the night sounds, feeling at one with and apart from his universe. He is not only an observer, but wants to be seen and understood as well. But he can't. This is “La gran tristeza” (“The Great Sadness”).
The entire cycle is structured around this dichotomy or conflict between the observer and the observed. I use four of the short poems as spoken interludes with percussion accompaniment. These interludes not only help break the possible monotony of thirteen consecutive songs at slow tempo, they heighten the sense of the aforementioned duality of the poet's voice. The use of percussion suggests the “tendrils of light” in the night sky (“Night on Earth”). In “La gran tristeza”, the reprise of the wheel-like material of “Total” (“The Whole Works”) (inspired by the lines “again and again” and, in “Recuerdo” (“Memory”); (“playing ring around a wheel”) suggests eternity, while also providing closure.
Balanza (1986) for soprano at the piano focuses on three modest poems of innocence. The dual role of the performer not only helped determine the direct and simple style of both voice and accompaniment, but gives the performance a more informal and intimate feeling as well. The piano often acts as a reflective respository for the voice's utterances, an idea expanded upon in Night.
El Regreso (“The Return”) was composed in 1999 especially for Christine Schadeberg. These five short poems are part of the collection Suites which are central to Lorca's poetic output. The title has personal significance as I was not only returning to Lorca but also “returning” to as direct a musical language as possible; one that would convey the nostalgic and melancholic tone of Lorca's poetry. I had the advantage in composing this piece of being able to hear Christine's voice as I was writing it.
A composer, much like a poet, spends a lifetime trying to refine his or her voice into its essence. My music has always tried to find the silence, “un silencio ondulado” (“a rolling silence”). In Lorca, many composers including myself have found the means to speak with their own voices. I am confident that Lorca himself, as musician, visual artist, and writer, would have been pleased to know that he had created this safe haven. Lorca, like Schubert, like Kahlo, is the quintessential artist: a martyr who, most importantly, gave his spiritual life to the heartache of an imperfect world and the vision of a better one. We not only identify with him wholeheartedly; we know therein lies the salvation of mankind.
El viaje de un comopositor con la poesía de Federico García Lorca
Después de haberse celebrado el centenario de su nacimiento, Federico García Lorca sigue siendo uno de los más grandes escritores del Siglo XX y el escritor español moderno más traducido. Su imaginación sensual y el uso sonoro del español le han valido no sólo el ser aclamado mundialmente, sino que también han atraído a numerosos compositores de todo el mundo. Todos ellos han intentado integrar la palabra de Lorca en sus diversas formas de expresión musical.
Mi primer encuentro con la obra Lorca data de 1977, cuando, siendo estudiante de doctorado en la Universidad de Columbia, me hice de un ejemplar de segunda mano de Poeta en Nueva York, escrito cuando el mismo Lorca estaba en Columbia entre 1929 y 1930. Todavía hoy , retomo su obra regularmente, identificándome de manera natural con su sentido de la soledad, su visión siempre presente hacia y del mundo de un hombre-niño y, sobre todo, la belleza misma de su creación.
Atendiendo a mi indicación del subtítulo, “Suite para Piano y voz de Poeta,” Night intercambia la relación tradicional entre la voz y el acompañamiento. El barítono (voz de poeta), con sus líneas escuetas, en efecto acompaña la parte más continua del piano. El poeta explora la noche, el cielo nocturno, las creaturas nocturnas, los sonidos nocturnos, sintiéndose a la vez unido y separado de su universo. No es sólo un observador, sino que quiere también ser visto y entendido. Pero no puede. Esto es “La Gran Tristeza.”
El ciclo completa está construido con base en esta dicotomía o conflicto entre el observador y lo observado. Uso cuatro poemas cortos como interludios hablados con acompañamiento de percusión. Estos interludios no sólo ayudan a romper la posible monotonía de las trece canciones consecutivas en un tempo lento, sino que también realzan el sentido antes mencionado de dualidad de la voz del poeta. El uso de las percusiones sugiere la “luz” en el cielo nocturno (“Noche en la Tierra”). En “La Gran Tristeza,” la rexposición del material de “rueda” (circular) de “Total,” inspirado en las líneas “una y otra vez” y en “Recuerdo,” “jugando al anillo alrededor de una rueda” sugiere eternidad y conclusividad.
Balanza (1986) para soprano en el piano se centra en tres poemas modestos de inocencia. El papel dual del ejecutante no sólo ayuda a determinar el estilo simple y directo tanto de la voz como del acompañamiento, sino que da a la interpretación un sentimiento más íntimo y a la vez informal. El piano frecuentemente actúa como una reflexión responsiva de las expresiones de la voz, una idea que sería expandida en “Night.”
El Regreso fue compuesto en 1999 especialmente para Christine Schadeberg. Estos cinco poemas cortos forman parte de una colección de Suites, que tienen un lugar central en la producción poética de Lorca. El título tiene también un significado personal, puesto que yo no sólo regresaba a Lorca, sino también a un lenguaje musical tan sencillo como fuera posible, uno que pudiera transmitir el tono nostálgico y melancólico de la poesía de Lorca. Tuve la ventaja al componer esta pieza, de poder oír la voz de Christine conforme la escribía.
Un compositor, de modo similar a un poeta, dedica su vida a refinar su voz hasta lo esencial. Mi música siempre ha tratado de encontrar el silencio, “un silencio ondulado.” En Lorca, muchos compositores, incluido yo mismo, han encontrado el medio para hablar con sus propias voces. Tengo confianza en que Lorca mismo, como músico artista plástico y escritor se hubiera complacido al saber que había creado este puerto seguro. Lorca, como Schubert, Kahlo, es la quintaesencia del artista: un mártir, que, sobre todo, dio su vida espiritual por la desazón de un mundo imperfecto y la visión de uno mejor. No sólo nos identificamos con él plenamente, sino que sabemos que en ello radica la salvación de la humanidad.
(translation by Pablo Padilla)
Soprano Christine Schadeberg is recognized as one of America's outstanding singers specializing in 20th-century music. She has performed with chamber ensembles and orchestras across the United States and Europe and has premiered more than 120 works, many written especially for her unique vocal and dramatic talents.
Recording is a vital part of Ms. Schadeberg's career. Two discs have been released by CRI, one including Mario Davidovsky's Romancero with the Dallas-based ensemble Voices of Change, (nominated for a Grammy Award) and one of commissioned works for the Jubal Trio. Ms. Schadeberg can also be heard on the Albany, Bridge, Centaur, Opus One and New World labels.
Christopher Oldfather has devoted himself to the performance of 20th-century music for more than 20 years. He has participated in innumerable world-premiere performances, in every possible combination of instruments, in cities all over America. He has been a member of Boston's Collage New Music since 1979, New York City's Parnassus since 1997, appears regularly in Chicago, and as a collaborator has joined singers and instrumentalists of all kinds in recitals throughout the United States. In 1986 he presented his recital debut in Carnegie Recital Hall. Since then he has pursued a career as a free-lance musician. This work has taken him as far afield as Moscow and Tokyo, and he has worked on every sort of keyboard ever made, including, of all things, the Chromelodeon. He is widely known for his expertise on the harpsichord, and is one of the leading interpreters of 20th-century works for that instrument.
As a soloist, he has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, the New World Symphony, and Ensemble Modern in Frankfurt, Germany. His recording of Elliott Carter's violin-piano Duo with Robert Mann was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1990. In more recent years he has collaborated with conductor Robert Craft, and can be heard on several of his recordings. Mr. Oldfather is also known for his work in the chamber music field, with performances in Washington with the Juilliard String Quartet.
Fredric Moses has appeared as soloist in recital and in opera and oratorio productions, both here and in the United States and in Europe. Performance credits include the Detroit Symphony, the Boston Bach Ensemble, and the London Contemporary Opera with such conductors as Joshua Rifkin and Robert Shaw. Moses is currently Director of the Vocal Studies Division at the Hartt School, University of Hartford.
Benjamin Toth has appeared in concert throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia with such ensembles as the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, the Hong Kong City Contemporary Dance Company, and the Jimmy Dorsey Band. Toth has extensive experience performing new music, particularly as a former member of the internationally recognized Percussion Group/Cincinnati. Toth directs the Percussion Program at the Hartt School of Music.
Tendrás claros manantiales.
Through forests where love is
You will come on sweet waters.
you will spot the great rose
And will call out: Love! love!
Quiero volver a la infancia
y de la infancia a la sombra.
Quiero volver a la sombra
(¡A mi desierto corazón!)
I want to go back to childhood
& from childhood to shadow.
You going too, nightingale?
I want to go back to the shadow
& from the shadow to the flower.
I want to go back to the flower
y me echaré a temblar como
la estrella de la mañana.
heading off down that road
I'll arouse reminiscences,
I'll arrive at the garden spot
in my song (my white song),
& I'll start in to shiver & shake
Dawn's flower has already
the depths of the afternoon?)
The spikenard of moon diffuses
the long glance of August?)
The night, quiet, always.
& the day below the wind.
Me han traído una caracola.
Me han traído una caracola.
They've brought me a shell.
(in the firtrees on the mountain:
acaricia la cara del espacio
creases the forehead of space
There is a tranquil star,
a star that has no eyelids.
cuando estaba la pájara pinta
when the yellow bird was painted
Aquella estrella romántica
Aquella estrella romántica
y ella misma se hace burla.
Our Lady Moon still hidden,
playing ring around a wheel.
She makes herself look silly.
You can't look at yourself
Permission to reprint the Spanish language texts of Federico García Lorca obtained from Herederos de Federico García Lorca. All rights reserved. Enquiries regarding the works of Federico García Lorca should be addressed to: William Peter Kosmas, 8 Franklin Square, London W14 9UU England. E-mail: wpk_artslaw@compuserve.com. English translation of “Balanza” by Paul Blackburn; permission to reprint obtained from Momo's Press. English translations of “Night” and “El Regreso (The Return)” by Jerome Rothenberg; permission to reprint the translations obtained from Herederos de Federico García Lorca.
El Regreso was recorded March 15, 2000 with Scott Metcalfe, recording engineer. Balanza was recorded June 23, 1998 with Scott Metcalfe, recording engineer. Night was recorded May 27, 1998 with David Budries, recording engineer. All works were recorded at Millard Auditorium, Hartt School, University of Hartford. Editing by Scott Metcalfe, Mind's Ear Mastering, West Hartford, Connecticut.
This CD was supported by Faculty Development Grants from the Hartt School, University of Hartford and with the support of an Artist Fellowship Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.
Complete list of works by David Macbride using texts by Federico Garcia Lorca:
Poet In New York (1977-83) for tenor and string quartet (or tenor, two vielles and two lutes); Children's Songs(1980) for two sopranos and 3 instruments; Nocturnos de la Ventana (1986) for tenor and chamber orchestra - recording: Frank Hoffmeister, tenor and The Prism Orchestra, Robert Black, conductor - Owl (Starkland) Recording, Inc. (CD#34); Balanza (1986) for voice at the piano; Deep Song(Poems of the Gypsy Siguiriya) (1988) for narrator, soprano, piano and string quartet; Night (Suite for Piano and Poet's Voice) (1993) for baritone and piano with percussion; El Regreso (The Return) (1999) for soprano and piano, commissioned by Christine Schadeberg. All scores available from the composer: David Macbride, The Hartt School, University of Hartford, West Hartford, Connecticut 06117, USA, macbride@erols.com; www.macbridearts.com.
This CD was supported by Faculty Development Grants from the Hartt School, University of Hartford and with the support of an Artist Fellowship Grant from the Connecticut Commission on the Arts.
Front Cover Art: “Payaso de Rostro Desdoblado y Caliz,” drawing by Federico García Lorca, used with permission from the Fundación Federico García Lorca.
Photo of David Macbride by David Kooi.
Cover Design:Bates Miyamoto Design
A Composer's Journey with the Poetry of Federico García Lorca
1 El Regreso (The Return) [4:40]
2 Corriente (In Motion) [3:25]
3 Hacia… (Towards…) [2:59]
5 Despedida (Saying Goodbye) [3:53]
Christine Schadeberg, soprano
Christopher Oldfather, piano
7 Balanza (Balanza) [2:20]
8 Caracola (Caracola) [1:54]
Christine Schadeberg, soprano at the piano
Night (Suite for Piano and Poet's Voice) [31:53]
9 Rasgos (Sketches) [3:16]
10 Preludio (Prelude) [:36]
11 Rincon del cielo (In a Corner of the Sky) [2:11]
12 Total (The Whole works) [5:13]
13 Un lucero (A Star) [:30]
16 Madre (Ursa Major) [:25]
17 Recuerdo (Memory) [2:28]
18 Hospicio (At the Poorhouse) [3:16]
20 Venus/Abajo (Venus/Below) [2:54]
21 La gran tristeza (The Great Sadness) [4:31]
David Macbride, piano with percussion
Benjamin Toth, percussion
This CD was supported by Faculty Development Grants from the Hartt School, University of Hartford.
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