Commissioned by carnegie hall and stanford lively arts to go on a program with his piece the little match girl passion, death speaks draws its initial inspiration from the work of schubert specifically the song death and the maiden. As a companion to the fivepart death speaks, lang also composed depart, the second piece on. With great kindness and compassion, she invites us to come and join her and be returned to dust. Its the perfect slow and wordless ending to the loneliness and sadness of death purveyed in. There was a merchant in bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white. You will return by david lang and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists. Text by david lang soprano, vln, egtr, pno all amplified. Lang s work does not escape the darkness of death, yet somehow manages to endow it with a strange intimacy and extraordinary beauty. Death speaks was commissioned specifically to go on a program with my piece the little match girl passion.
Death s words are given human shape through the otherworldly. Such, i take it, is the origin of classical composer david lang s haunting album death speaks. David lang, death speaks with help from franz schubert and four stellar musicians, david lang ponders the afterlife. Death speaks, a song cycle by david lang inspired by the songs of schubert in which death features as a flesh and blood character who often speaks, rather than a faceless metaphor. For my ears, one of most striking features of david lang s music is its austerity. In 2012, david lang spent so much time racking up awards from carnegie halls 2014 debs composers chair to musical americas composer of the year that its a wonder he was able to wrangle a project of the size and scope of death speaks. These five haunting pieces hang in the air like a frozen last breath. Death speaks by various artists on amazon music amazon.
Death speaks by david lang released in 20 via cantaloupe. Composer david lang found the inspiration for death speaks by combing though the immense songbook of 19th century austrian composer. Arjan although death speaks is the center piece of this record, starring the wonderful shara worden, from the first listen the last song here, depart, has caught my attention. Composer david lang found the inspiration for death speaks by combing though the immense songbook of 19th century austrian composer franz schubert with an eye for lyrics that personified death. Setting the fragments of schuberts text to his own music, lang enlists a roster of artists from the disparate musical worlds of new york city including my brightest diamond vocalist shara worden. The end result is plainly titled death speaks and is a beautiful, chilling collection of tracks that glide through the air in a way that would make it seem like they were floating if were they real figures. Featuring four solo vocalists with maya beiser on multitracked cellos, the music offers a lifeaffirming meditative ambience intended to help family members deal with the death of a loved one. I really wanted to be able to share this song with people. Death speaks is a song cycle ofsorts by american composerwriter david lang.
Its the perfect slow and wordless ending to the loneliness and sadness of death purveyed in the first part. David lang death speaks cd classical composers 7746309220. Provided to youtube by naxos of america death speaks. As a companion to the fivepart death speaks, lang also composed depart, the second piece on the cd. Composer david lang offers something for both head and heart and goes one step further in his new song cycle, death speaks. Nmd performs david langs death speaks with special guest, shara worden. Commissioned by carnegie hall and stanford lively arts to go on a program with his piece the little.
The album is actually two works the death speaks cycle of five songs, and a separate, longer work, depart. Setting the fragments of schuberts text to his own music, lang enlists a roster of artists from the disparate musical worlds of new york city including my brightest diamond vocalist. Pulitzer prizewinning composer david langs new album, death speaks, features shara worden of my brightest diamond, the nationals. Death speaks is my first exposure to composer david lang s work, and i must say i am very impressed. Although we all eventually face death, its a topic most avoid. Pulitzer prizewinning composer david lang s new album, death speaks, features shara worden of my brightest diamond, the nationals bryce dessner, nico. Pain changes every shape once you are truly lonely you will never be alone feel my hand i feel you touch my cold hand i will take you from. Lang composed this song cycle a commission from carnegie hall and stanford lively arts, premiered at both in late january, 2012 as a companion piece to the little match girl passion. Death speaks, an album by david lang, various artists on spotify.
Hear the pulitzer prizewinning composers new album in its. D eath is present in so many of schuberts lieder, and those appearances provide the starting point for the five songs that make up david lang s death speaks. I couldnt find it anywhere when i tried to look it up myself. Just as his little match girl passion employed a palimpsest of bach texts, so david lang s fivesong suite death speaks derives directly from schubert lieder, reconstituting proclamations in a. There was a merchant in bagdad who sent his servant to market to buy provisions and in a little while the servant came back, white and trembling and said, master, just now when i was. I have heard interviews with lang where he speaks about eschewing a specific emotional context for his music and writing music in which the listener provides their own unique emotional response to the work. Album artwork for david langs death speaks denise burt. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. The text for the five movements are all drawn from schubert lieder in which death speaks to the living. Courtesy of the artist audio for this feature is no longer available. Listen to and download the shadow radio program, death.
I do not think lang s personification of death in the ghostly voice of shara worden, or the presentation of the warm embrace of the grave as a sort of womb, should be considered deathist, even if death in his work is sometimes represented as. Powerful pianists, and a date with death the boston globe. Lang, a cofounder of bang on a can, won the pulitzer prize for music for the little match girl passion, a meditation on death written for four voices and percussion. Get a low price and free shipping on thousands of items.
January 25, 2012 bryce dessner, shara worden, nico muhly, and owen pallett theatre of voices, paul hillier, cond. David lang went through all of schuberts lieder and clipped out the texts where the figure of death speaks. You will return return to dust you will turn, return to. David lang s new album, death speaks, comes out april 30. Includes unlimited streaming of death speaks via the free bandcamp app, plus highquality download in mp3, flac and more. In the program notes for the song cycle death speaks recording released on april 30 via cantaloupe music composer david lang asks, what would it be like to put together an ensemble of successful indie composerperformers and invite them back. Discover more music, concerts, videos, and pictures with the largest catalogue online at. Get the guaranteed best price on classical vinyl like the david lang death speaks at musicians friend. Ill get death speaks as a perk of my subscription, and im free to unsubscribe at any time. Death speaks by bryce dessner, nico muhly, owen pallett. David lang death speaks 2011 music sales classical.
Update required to play the media you will need to either update. David lang death speaks owen pallett, shara worden. He put them together into a song cycle whichdespite the darkness of the subject matteris uplifting. We and our partners use cookies to personalize your experience, to show you ads based on your interests, and for measurement and analytics purposes.
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