Classical Composer: | Ešenvalds, Ēriks |
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Lyricist: | Traditional |
Work: | The First Tears |
Year Composed: | 2014 |
Instrumentation: | jew's harp, Native American flute, percussion, vocals, ch |
Publisher: | Musica Baltica, Ltd. |
Duration: | 00:14:53 |
Period: | 20th Century |
Work Category: | Choral - Secular |
Work Information
Available Recording(s)
The First Tears (2015) is based on the Inuit legend of the Raven and the Whale, a story of how grief came into the world. Ešenvalds learned the story from native elders in Greenland and Alaska. His composition uses Native American flutes, jaw harps, percussion, and expanded vocal techniques to create the mystical world where Raven—the creator of the world—accidentally destroys one of his own creations. Each section of the narrative is followed by reflective music where the words fall away, and tone syllables create space for the listener's imagination to inhabit the mood of the story. At 14 minutes, this is a long piece for a cappella choir, but the drama of Ešenvalds' music makes us feel as if we have listened to the soundtrack of a movie that needs no visual aspect to be fully alive.
Writer: Ethan Sperry
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