9/11 in Music
On September 15, 2001 Kalvos & Damian put out a call for pieces composed in reflection of the September 11th tragedies in New York and Washington and Pennsylvania, to be broadcast on the late, lamented radio program. Their list is here.
There have been lots of pieces since–Adams’ On the Transmigration of Souls, Carl Schroeder’s Christine’s Lullaby, Michael Gordon’s The Sad Park. Who can name some others?
I’m listening to Robert Sirota’s Triptych for string quartet.
Stephen Chatman’s “Proud Music of the Storm” for Chorus & Orchestra.
Jeff, Meira and Elodie’s pieces are chronicled in the Kalvos & Damien list.
…took me over five years to bring my idea to the light of day. Hard to believe when weighed against the simplicity of the piece; but like Jeff H mentioned, it is difficult to go back and revisit the visual and emotional events of 9/11, even if it is just to communicate those visuals through instrumental composition.
Finally completed this year; my classical guitar/cello/bass piece is called ‘Reflecting Absence’ in dedicated to our resilient neighbors of New York and to the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Thanks. http://www.salvatoriproductions.com/song/5
How about Elodie Lauten’s S.O.S.W.T.C.? Hear a sound excerpt at http://www.elodielauten.net/music%20files/Elec-exp/soswtc1.mp3.
Info about it at http://www.elodielauten.net/vault/sos.html.
and
Meira Warshauer’s In Memoriam September 11, 2001 – versions for solo cello or cello and violin duo. Hear a recording at http://kalvos.org/tragedy.html. Lots of other interesting stuff on this page as well. Info about it at http://www.meirawarshauer.com/ProgramNotes/In%20Memoriam%20Sept.%2011%20by%20Meira%20Warshauer.html.
Gloria Coates’ String Quartet No.8 was written as an 11 September memorial. Its central movement quotes the melody of one of her earlier songs, a setting of Emily Dickinson’s “In falling timbers buried”.
For the fifth anniversary, last year, the Kronos Quartet incorporated The Sad Park into a larger set of pieces called Awakening.
I was with Dennis and David at the OughtOne Festival two weeks before (that was where I first got to meet Kyle and Mary Jane Leach, great fun new music event) and I just couldn’t bring myself to participate in that project. Especially after watching the whole disaster with a bunch of construction workers and computer guys 24 stories up in great detail from our office rooftop. I still can’t watch any video of it to this day.
Both my pieces, Erg for Mandolin and Guitar and Irae for Violin, Viola and Contrabass were written in memory of it though. They both attempt to reconcile Middle Eastern melodic influences with the usual Jeffisms…
Recordings of both can be found at: http://harrington.lunarpages.com/mp3