componist
Bart Michiels is a Flemish composer based in Antwerp. Inspired by the endless color possibilities and sheer power of the modern symphony orchestra, he focuses mainly on writing richly scored ...
gerelateerde werken
I Sit And Look Out : for mixed choir and orchestra / Bart Michiels; poetry by Walt Whitman
Genre:
Vocaal
Subgenre:
Gemengd koor en orkest
Bezetting:
GK 2fl(picc) 2ob eh 2cl 2fg 4h 3tpt 3trb timp 2perc str
Nuntium : voor gemengd koor, hobo, 2 hoorns en strijkorkest, 1990 / tekst: uit Psalm 69, Willem Duyn
Genre:
Vocaal
Subgenre:
Gemengd koor en orkest
Bezetting:
GK4 0100 2000 str
Genre:
Vocaal
Subgenre:
Gemengd koor en orkest
Bezetting:
GK4 3223 3330 timp perc cel hp str
Requiem : Missa pro defunctis, febr. 1927-1932 / Ernest W. Mulder
Genre:
Vocaal
Subgenre:
Gemengd koor en orkest
Bezetting:
sopr alt ten bas JoK2 GK4 3222 4230 timp str
compositie
I Sit And Look Out : for mixed choir and orchestra / Bart Michiels; poetry by Walt Whitman
Overige auteurs:
Whitman, Walt
(tekstdichter/librettist)
Toelichting:
One gloomy day, while browsing some poetry, a poem by the great American writer Walt Whitman caught my eye: I Sit and Look Out.
The poem constitutes a critical reflection on various forms of social oppression throughout modern history. In the poem, Whitman depicts human nature as one of cruelty, injustice and indifference, suggesting the human tendency to ignore other people's suffering and not to intervene if it is not directly related to oneself.
Indeed, throughout history, individuals and societies have always succeeded in causing suffering and agony to each other, be it because of differences in belief systems, religion, skin color, gender, sexual preference or wealth.
Even today in COVID times, Whitman's analysis about human behavior remains accurate as the world is more polarized than ever before.
Inspired by the universality and topicality of Whitman's poem, I decided to use his text to write a piece for choir and orchestra, also lending his title for the work.
I wanted the music to reflect Whitman's dark depiction of humanity, thereby using the full force and colors of the orchestra. The mixed choir functions as the central observer in Whitman's poem, indifferently noting all the suffering and injustices around the world.
Despite the dark athmosphere throughout the piece, there are also shimmers of hope in moments where the orchestra & choir come together in a single unisono chant.
Bart Michiels, January 2022