Angels, The (Die Engel)

Angelic images exist in many cultures throughout the world, and our fascination with them is evident in everything from web pages to wind chimes. This beautiful, legato original, based on a text by German poet Ranier Marie Rilke, captures the shimmering essence of these beings of light in the delicate piano accompaniment and the simple, accessible vocal technique of aleatoric, repeated syllables on unison notes. The luxurious, soaring melodies pass from voice to voice in AABA form, and the contrasting section comes to a dramatic climax on the text "the infinite interval of might and melody." A brief canon begins the final section, and the melodic material harkens back to the introduction in a musical palindrome.