Three Spanish Songs (2005)
1. Olas grises
2. Nocturno
3. Sueño despierto
1/1/1/1,1/1/1,2Perc.,Sop.,Pno; texts: Leopoldo Lugones,
Rubén Darío, and José Martí; ca. 15:00
Commisisoned by Michael Haithcock and the University of Michigan Symphony Band
This piece is now part of the DONALD HUNSBERGER WIND LIBRARY published by ALFRED PUBLISHING. Click here for more information.
Read comments posted by Miguel Etchegoncelay (in Spanish) and Chris Woodruff of the performance by soprano Edith Davis Tidwell and the University Louisville Wind Symphony, conducted by Frederick Speck at the 2007 WASBE Conference in Killarney, Ireland.
Premiere
December 12, 2005
Caroline Helton, soprano
University of Michigan Symphony Band, Michael Haithcock conductor
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI
1. Olas grises (complete) Mp3 (7 MB)
2. Nocturno (complete) Mp3 (9 MB)
3. Sueño despierto (complete) Mp3 (12 MB)
Meng-Chun Lin, soprano
CCM Chamber Players, Rodney Winther conductor
CBDNA Conference
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor
March 30, 2007
This cycle is a setting of three contrasting poems by Latin-American poets Leopoldo Lugones, Rubén Darío, and José Martí. Olas grises uses evocative rain and sea imagery to meditate on the nature of life and death. Set as a lyrical, quasi-strophic song, these images are portrayed through the opening percussion rain drop motive and the moaning vocal line used throughout the movement. Nocturno is a frantic soliloquy set as an extended opera scene. The piano and percussion accompany the soprano in the opening recitative which is followed by a surreal aria accompanied by the rest of the ensemble. This is followed by a re-statement of both sections. Sueño despierto is a short poem about the contrasting images of a waking dream. Based on a fragment of the lullaby Nanita nana, heard in its entirety at the opening, the song is a set of three variations, followed by a coda, which portray these various images.
Performance History
2011
April 3
Soprano, TBA
UIUC Wind Symphony
Robert W. Rumbelow, conductor
Foellinger Great Hall, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Urbana-Champaign, IL
February 18
Linda Mabbs, soprano
University of Maryland Wind Orchestra
Michael Votta, conductor
Dekelboum Concert Hall
Smith Center
University of Maryland
College Park, MD
2010
May 19 (RE-SCHEDULED)
Sopranos, TBA
UCLA Wind Ensemble
Dr. Thomas Lee, conductor
Schoenberg Hall, UCLA
Los Angeles, CA
April 14
Emily Sanchez, soprano
Peabody Chamber Winds
Harlan D. Parker, conductor
Leith Symington Griswold Hall
Peabody Institute
Baltimore, MD
March 4
Mariana Mihai-Zoeter, soprano
Shenandoah Conservatory Symphonic Winds
Emily Threinen, conductor
Armstrong Concert Hall
Shenandoah Conservatory
Winchester, Virginia
2008
April 5
Soprano, TBA
Eastman Wind Ensemble, Marc Scatterday conductor
Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music
Rochester, NY
March 26
Soprano, TBA
Eastman Wind Ensemble, Marc Scatterday conductor
Kilbourn Hall, Eastman School of Music
Rochester, NY
2007
November 18
Monica Griffin, Soprano
The Western Michigan University Symphony Band, Dr. Robert Spradling conductor
Miller Auditorium, WMU
Kalamazoo, MI
November 18
Joni Fukuda, soprano
CSU Fullerton University Wind Symphony, Dr. Mitchell Fennell conductor
CSU Fullerton
Fullerton, CA
November 7
Indiana State University
ISU Contemporary Music Festival, Dr. John Boyd conductor
Terre Haute, IN
October 25
Melanie Helton, soprano
Michigan State University Wind Symphony, Dr. Kevin Sedatole conductor
East Lansing, MI
October 4
Oberlin Wind Ensemble, Timothy Weiss conductor
Warner Concert Hall, Oberlin Conservatory
Oberlin, OH
July 9
Edith Davis Tidwell, soprano
University of Louisville Wind Symphony, Fred Speck conductor
WASBE Conference
Killarney, Ireland
April 15
Edith Davis Tidwell, soprano
University of Louisville Wind Symphony, Fred Speck conductor
Margaret Comstock Concert Hall
University of Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
March 30
Meng-Chun Lin, soprano
CCM Chamber Players, Rodney Winther conductor
CBDNA Conference
Ann Arbor, MI
March 29
Meng-Chun Lin, soprano
CCM Chamber Players, Rodney Winther conductor
Chelsea High School
Chelsea, MI
March 1
Sharon Munden, soprano
ECU Wind Ensemble, Scott Carter conductor
New Music Festival@ECU
Greenville, NC
2006
November 1
Leslie Umphrey, soprano
University of New Mexico Wind Symphony, Eric Rombach-Kendall director
National Hispanic Cultural Center
Albuquerque, NM
2005
December 12 (premiere)
Caroline Helton, soprano
University of Michigan Symphony Band, Michael Haithcock conductor
Hill Auditorium
Ann Arbor, MI
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