David Lang's the little match girl passion, for vocal quartet doubling on percussion instruments, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008. It's a strong, striking piece with a surprisingly potent emotional punch. Part of its effectiveness derives from the story itself, which is so achingly poignant that it can hardly fail to raise a lump in the throat. The text is primarily compiled from the story by Hans Christian Andersen and from familiar sections from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, which sound fresh and new in English translation. ...
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David Lang's the little match girl passion, for vocal quartet doubling on percussion instruments, won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008. It's a strong, striking piece with a surprisingly potent emotional punch. Part of its effectiveness derives from the story itself, which is so achingly poignant that it can hardly fail to raise a lump in the throat. The text is primarily compiled from the story by Hans Christian Andersen and from familiar sections from Bach's St. Matthew Passion, which sound fresh and new in English translation. Lang's clear-eyed avoidance of sentimentality saves the story from the bathos into which it could easily sink in a less skillful musical setting. Several movements have a trademark minimalist sound surface, whose repetitions (rarely literal here; Lang is a master of subtle rhythmic and melodic shifts) can drive home a point with stark power. The movements share a melodic simplicity that gives them the immediacy of plainchant, but the insistent repetitions, irregular overlapping...
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Add this copy of Lang: Little Match Girl Passion to cart. $50.50, like new condition, Sold by Griffin Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Stamford, CT, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by HARMONIA MUNDI.
Add this copy of Lang: Little Match Girl Passion to cart. $17.14, good condition, Sold by Goodwill BookWorks rated 3.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Austin, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2009 by Harmonia Mundi.