Rouse, Christopher: Odna Zhizn A Life (2009) 15'
for orchestra
Scoring
3(III=picc).2.corA.2.bcl.2.dbn--4.3.3.1--timp.perc(3):vib/mar/glsp/BD/bongos/sizzle cym/Chinese cym/gong/2sus.cym/tam-t/slapstick/maracas/lg ratchet/crotales/brake drum--harp--cel--strings
World Premiere
2/10/2010
Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY
New York Philharmonic / Alan Gilbert
Composer's Notes
In Russian, "zhizn" means "a life." This fifteen-minute work has been composed in homage to a person of Russian ancestry who is very dear to me. Her life has not been an easy one, and the struggles she has faced are reflected in the sometimes peripatetic nature of the music. While quite a few of my scores have symbolically translated various words into notes and rhythms, this process has been carried to an extreme degree in "Zhizn": virtually all of the music is focused on the spelling of names and other phrases, and it was an enormous challenge for me to fashion these materials into what I hoped would be a satisfying musical experience that functions both as the public portrayal of an extraordinary life as well as a private love letter.
— Christopher Rouse November, 2008
News stories for this title :
Christopher Rouse: new orchestral Odna Zhizn reviewed
for orchestra
Scoring
3(III=picc).2.corA.2.bcl.2.dbn--4.3.3.1--timp.perc(3):vib/mar/glsp/BD/bongos/sizzle cym/Chinese cym/gong/2sus.cym/tam-t/slapstick/maracas/lg ratchet/crotales/brake drum--harp--cel--strings
World Premiere
2/10/2010
Avery Fisher Hall, New York, NY
New York Philharmonic / Alan Gilbert
Composer's Notes
In Russian, "zhizn" means "a life." This fifteen-minute work has been composed in homage to a person of Russian ancestry who is very dear to me. Her life has not been an easy one, and the struggles she has faced are reflected in the sometimes peripatetic nature of the music. While quite a few of my scores have symbolically translated various words into notes and rhythms, this process has been carried to an extreme degree in "Zhizn": virtually all of the music is focused on the spelling of names and other phrases, and it was an enormous challenge for me to fashion these materials into what I hoped would be a satisfying musical experience that functions both as the public portrayal of an extraordinary life as well as a private love letter.
— Christopher Rouse November, 2008
News stories for this title :
Mailing List
Sign up for news updates and offers via email
SIGN UP
Featured Publication
Rachmaninoff: Paganini Rhapsody
The sparkling Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini for piano and orchestra is included in the Masterworks Library of full scores, ideal for conductors, students and music lovers.
READ MORE