Awake to Creation

	"Awake to Creation" first performed at the Bloomingdale School of Music "Songs for Eve" written by Ezra Laderman first sparked the idea for "Awake to Creation." This dramatic and witty half hour of song sets Archibald MacLeish’s eight poem cycle of the same name and was written in 1963 for my late voice teacher, soprano, Judith Raskin. I had always loved the piece and through it felt a special connection to the beloved teacher who had first sparked my interest in modern music. I thought it would be wonderful to build a program around this poignant and entertaining work about our legendary first mother. I then became interested in finding material that would reflect emotions and observations we might experience as we discover and react to our place in the natural world and to the most fundamental relationships between human beings. Of course, there is a vast quantity of material pertinent to these ideas. "The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs" by John Cage (1942) on a text by James Joyce "St. Agnes Morning" by Henry Cowell (1947) on a text by Maxwell Anderson "Voyage" by Elliot Carter (1945) on a text by Hart Crane "Childhood Fables for Grownups" by Irving Fine (1955) on texts by Gertrude Norman Polaroli Tigeroo Lenny the Leopard The Frog and the Snake Poem: "Five Dawn Skies in November" by David Wagoner "The Seasons of Time" by Miriam Gideon (1971) ten songs based on Tanka poetry of ancient Japan Poem: "Lamentations" by Louise Gluck From "The Seasons" by John Cage (1947) for piano alone Prelude I Winter Prelude II Spring "Songs for Eve" by Ezra Laderman (1963) on texts by Archibald MacLeish What Eve Sang Eve’s Exile Eve’s Now-I-Lay-Me Eve in the Dawn The Riddles Eve’s rebuke to Her Child Eve Quiets Her Children Eve Explains to the Thrush Who Repeats Everything We begin with three songs from the 1940’s celebrating the relationship of love and nature. John Cage, Henry Cowell and Elliot Carter writing at this time seem to have found in their different styles extremely visceral and striking ways to express feelings attendant upon this relationship. Cage uses drumming (the pianist on the closed piano) under a folk-like melody leaving James Joyce’s beautiful text completely exposed. It is also, I think, this exposure, this utter vulnerability that makes the simple and beautiful harmonies of Cowell’s "St. Agnes Morning" and Carter’s "Voyage" so very thrilling. The poets Maxwell Anderson and Hart Crane use exquisite imagery to evoke in us the painful beauty of dawn and love. Irving Fine’s charming first book of "Childhood Fables for Grownups" on texts by Gertrude Norman take delightful, sophisticated moral lessons from the animal world. In the guise of children’s poems set as children’s songs these "Fables" poke fun at human desires and appetites. Miriam Gideon has a special place among composers in my mind. Her ability to marry text and music with an extraordinary simplicity is very special and gives the singer a seamless vehicle with which to express emotion and meaning. Her spare and lyrical songs, "The Seasons of Time," on ten ancient Japanese Tanka poems haunt us with their glimpses of moments of great natural beauty. Her clarity allows each image to strike us with the same intensity that must have inspired the composer to write these beautiful songs. Louise Gluck’s poem "Lamentations" observes the earliest humans through the eyes of a God both present and uninvolved. It opens questions about the mystery of meaning in our creation and in our mythology. Next is part of another work by John Cage, this one for piano alone, titled "The Seasons." Written in 1947 it is Cage at his most lyrical and makes a wonderful introduction to "Songs for Eve." Laderman uses a variety of styles to create a picture of Eve as a woman possessed of strong insight and wry wit. One never quite overwhelmed by the consequences of new knowledge and who leaves us with an exuberant hope for the outcome of the human story. "Awake to Creation" is about being alive in the world, aware of our relationship to its natural wonders and our relationships to each other. With works of elegance and humor these poets and composers help create an atmosphere in which we can see with fresh eyes some of the world around us and learn just a bit more about ourselves. TOP

"Awake to Creation"

first performed at the Bloomingdale School of Music

"Songs for Eve" written by Ezra Laderman first sparked the idea for "Awake to Creation." This dramatic and witty half hour of song sets Archibald MacLeish’s eight poem cycle of the same name and was written in 1963 for my late voice teacher, soprano, Judith Raskin. I had always loved the piece and through it felt a special connection to the beloved teacher who had first sparked my interest in modern music. I thought it would be wonderful to build a program around this poignant and entertaining work about our legendary first mother.

I then became interested in finding material that would reflect emotions and observations we might experience as we discover and react to our place in the natural world and to the most fundamental relationships between human beings. Of course, there is a vast quantity of material pertinent to these ideas.

"The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs" by John Cage (1942)

on a text by James Joyce

"St. Agnes Morning" by Henry Cowell (1947)

on a text by Maxwell Anderson

"Voyage" by Elliot Carter (1945)

on a text by Hart Crane

"Childhood Fables for Grownups" by Irving Fine (1955)

on texts by Gertrude Norman

Polaroli

Tigeroo

Lenny the Leopard

The Frog and the Snake

Poem: "Five Dawn Skies in November" by David Wagoner

"The Seasons of Time" by Miriam Gideon (1971)

ten songs based on Tanka poetry of ancient Japan

Poem: "Lamentations" by Louise Gluck

From "The Seasons" by John Cage (1947) for piano alone

Prelude I

Winter

Prelude II

Spring

"Songs for Eve" by Ezra Laderman (1963)

on texts by Archibald MacLeish

What Eve Sang

Eve’s Exile

Eve’s Now-I-Lay-Me

Eve in the Dawn

The Riddles

Eve’s rebuke to Her Child

Eve Quiets Her Children

Eve Explains to the Thrush Who Repeats Everything

We begin with three songs from the 1940’s celebrating the relationship of love and nature. John Cage, Henry Cowell and Elliot Carter writing at this time seem to have found in their different styles extremely visceral and striking ways to express feelings attendant upon this relationship. Cage uses drumming (the pianist on the closed piano) under a folk-like melody leaving James Joyce’s beautiful text completely exposed. It is also, I think, this exposure, this utter vulnerability that makes the simple and beautiful harmonies of Cowell’s "St. Agnes Morning" and Carter’s "Voyage" so very thrilling. The poets Maxwell Anderson and Hart Crane use exquisite imagery to evoke in us the painful beauty of dawn and love.

Irving Fine’s charming first book of "Childhood Fables for Grownups" on texts by Gertrude Norman take delightful, sophisticated moral lessons from the animal world. In the guise of children’s poems set as children’s songs these "Fables" poke fun at human desires and appetites.

Miriam Gideon has a special place among composers in my mind. Her ability to marry text and music with an extraordinary simplicity is very special and gives the singer a seamless vehicle with which to express emotion and meaning. Her spare and lyrical songs, "The Seasons of Time," on ten ancient Japanese Tanka poems haunt us with their glimpses of moments of great natural beauty. Her clarity allows each image to strike us with the same intensity that must have inspired the composer to write these beautiful songs.

Louise Gluck’s poem "Lamentations" observes the earliest humans through the eyes of a God both present and uninvolved. It opens questions about the mystery of meaning in our creation and in our mythology. Next is part of another work by John Cage, this one for piano alone, titled "The Seasons." Written in 1947 it is Cage at his most lyrical and makes a wonderful introduction to "Songs for Eve." Laderman uses a variety of styles to create a picture of Eve as a woman possessed of strong insight and wry wit. One never quite overwhelmed by the consequences of new knowledge and who leaves us with an exuberant hope for the outcome of the human story.

"Awake to Creation" is about being alive in the world, aware of our relationship to its natural wonders and our relationships to each other. With works of elegance and humor these poets and composers help create an atmosphere in which we can see with fresh eyes some of the world around us and learn just a bit more about ourselves.

TOP