3(II dbl. picc, III=afl).3(III=corA).2(II dbl. bcl).2(II dbl. dbn)-2.2.1.1-perc(3):snare dr, susp.cym, BD, tam-t, wdbl, crot, t.bells, glsp, vib-harp-str
Abbreviations (PDF)
Boosey & Hawkes
Woman of the Mountain evokes the journey of an extraordinary woman in the throes of the natural world on a quest for love as she reaches a mountain’s summit. The music, which incorporates the traditional Irish song Sliabh na mBan (Mountain of the Women), is set in five parts: Awakening, Searching, Yearning, Discovery, and Arrival.
Slievenamon (Sliabh na mBan) is a mountain in County Tipperary, Ireland. Much of the mountains lower slopes are wooded, and formerly most of the mountain was covered in woodland. There are at least four prehistoric monuments on Slievenamon, and on its summit are the remains of ancient burial cairns, which in Irish mythology were seen as portals to the Otherworld. A natural rocky outcrop on its east side forms the appearance of a doorway and on the mountain's northeastern shoulder, Sheegouna, is another burial cairn and a ruined megalithic tomb. This rugged landscape forms the backdrop for this tone poem, which is dedicated to my dearest friend, Sophie August.
-Anna Clyne