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
Amsterdam cantate : voor gemengd koor en orkest, (1984/85) / Hans Kox
Genre:
Vocaal
Subgenre:
Gemengd koor en orkest; Gemengd koor en piano
Bezetting:
GK4 2120 2sax-a 1200 3hp 2g 2el.g g-b/cb pf str(vl vc) / GK4 pf4h
Naar de maan : voor vrouwenkoor, gemengd koor en orkest / op text van Bert Schierbeek, Nico Schuyt
Genre:
Vocaal
Subgenre:
Gemengd koor en orkest
Bezetting:
VK3 GK3 4222 2200 timp 6perc pf4h str
Requiem : voor gemengd koor en orkest / Cornelis Dopper
Genre:
Vocaal
Subgenre:
Gemengd koor en orkest
Bezetting:
GK4 2fl 2ob 2cl 2fg 4h 2trp 3trb tb timp perc str
compositie
I Sit And Look Out : for mixed choir and orchestra / Bart Michiels; poetry by Walt Whitman
Auteur(s):
Michiels, Bart
(Componist)
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