soprano, tenor, baritone, bass; men's chorus; 2+pic.2.2(bcl).2+cbn/4.2[in C].2.0/timp/3 perc/strings
New York Philharmonic, de Doelen Concert Hall, Barbican Centre, l’Auditori, Bochum Symphony Orchestra, Concertgebouw Bruges, and Malmö Opera.
Sop, Mezzo,Ten,Bar,B,small chor, string quartet
the American Conservatory Theater for the Kronos Quartet
percussion duo
a percussion consortium (The Meehan/Perkins Duo – Doug Perkins and Todd Meehan, The Coalescence Duo – Judy Moonert and Greg Scour, Matthew McClung and Lisa Nicol, and Greg Beyer, Michael Correa, Matthew Duvall, Hunter/Gatherer – Ian Antonio and Russell Greenberg, and Yu Chun Kuo)
4 voices (SATB) each playing simple percussion
Carnegie Hall Corporation and The Perth Theater and Concert Hall for Paul Hillier and Theatre of Voices
chamber choir, plus 4 voices (SATB) each playing simple percussion
the National Chamber Choir of Ireland
fl, cl, perc, pno, vn, vc (performers double on a variety of instruments and percussion)
Eighth Blackbird
Julia Wolfe
Listen to an audio excerpt from this interview:
Your browser does not support this audio format.
David Lang is one of the most thoughtful composers working today. His music is consistently probing, emotionally urgent, strange, and beautiful. It is also getting simpler as the years roll on—a sign that the mind behind it is undergoing a kind of ritualistic purification. I’ve been obsessed with David’s music since I bought a recording by mail order of his piece cheating lying stealing when I was in high school, and I have written a piano piece called David Lang Needs a Hug…
continue readingDavid Lang’s newest work, the whisper opera, receives its world premiere on May 30 at the MCA in Chicago by the International Contemporary Ensemble with Tony Arnold as solo soprano.
This one-of-a-kind work is performed with the musicians, singer, and audience enclosed in an intimate, onstage set. Composed for flute, clarinet, percussion, cello, and solo soprano, the music and the environment work together to convey themes of secrets, and the tension between what we hide and what we choose to reveal…
continue reading