''On the Death of the Righteous'' is a composition for
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
and
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
set to the text of
John Donne by the American composer
Jennifer Higdon. The work was commissioned by the
Mendelssohn Club
Mendelssohn Chorus of Philadelphia (formerly known as Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia and Mendelssohn Club Chorus of Philadelphia) is a music institution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city i ...
in 2009 to celebrate Alan Harler's 20th season as their music director. The piece was first performed on March 29, 2009, by the Mendelssohn Club orchestra and choir under the conductor Alan Harler.
[ Higdon, Jennifer (2009)]
On the Death of the Righteous: Program Note
Retrieved September 14, 2015.
Composition
''On the Death of the Righteous'' has a duration of roughly 12 minutes and is composed in a single
movement. The music is set to text from the sermons of the 16th-century poet
John Donne. In the score program notes, Higdon wrote:
She continued, "Of course, the challenge for the composer is creating an emotional state that is equal to the text’s, and thus a music of enough weight and seriousness, without being particularly dark; to be lacking in judgment in musical sound and to reflect the even balance of opposites, upon the death of the righteous."
Instrumentation
The work is scored for
SATB
SATB is an initialism that describes the scoring of compositions for choirs, and also choirs (or consorts) of instruments. The initials are for the voice types: S for soprano, A for alto, T for tenor and B for bass.
Choral music
Four-part harm ...
chorus and an orchestra comprising three
flutes
The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...
(third doubling
piccolo), two
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
s, two
clarinets, four
bassoons, four
horns Horns or The Horns may refer to:
* Plural of Horn (instrument), a group of musical instruments all with a horn-shaped bells
* The Horns (Colorado), a summit on Cheyenne Mountain
* ''Horns'' (novel), a dark fantasy novel written in 2010 by Joe Hill ...
, five
trumpet
The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...
s, three
piccolo trumpets, three
trombone
The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...
s,
tuba
The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...
,
timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally ...
, one percussionist, and
strings.
Reception
Reviewing the world premiere, Daniel Webster of ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The newspaper's circulation is the largest in both the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the Delaware Valley metropolitan region of Southeastern Pennsy ...
'' lauded, "Higdon faced a huge problem: How to compete with Verdi? Her solution was studied, but also (probably) joyfully indulgent. She had at her disposal Verdi's orchestra with massive percussion, expanded winds, and all the trumpets of heaven." Webster added, "In a sense she did not compete, but found in John Donne's serene musing on death the basis for another mood, another kind of music. That was an impressive achievement, for her music stayed in the ear, even after Verdi's titanic immersion in emotion and color."
Reviewing a later recording of the piece, Olivia Giovetti of
WQXR-FM
WQXR-FM (105.9 FM) is an American non-commercial classical radio station, licensed to Newark, New Jersey and serving the North Jersey and New York City area. It is owned by the nonprofit organization New York Public Radio, which also operates ...
similarly wrote:
See also
*
List of compositions by Jennifer Higdon
References
{{Authority control
Compositions by Jennifer Higdon
2009 compositions
Compositions for symphony orchestra
Choral compositions
Music commissioned by the Mendelssohn Club