Women composers of the 19th-21st centuries: Choral and solo vocal works, opera (part 3 of 4)
Choral and solo vocal works
Women composers of choral and solo vocal works create a broad range of individual and creative works for each genre. A mastery and diverse use of the voice in solo and ensemble settings is evident in the works of these three important composers.
Anne Dudley’s cantatas A Winter Solstice was premiered by I Fagiolini in 2003. A year later her next cantata Northern Lights received its first performance. Violeta Dinescu’s choral compositions include numerous works for children’s choirs and instrumental ensembles. In addition she has composed Verzaubere mich in einen Silbervogel for mixed chorus and orchestra (1977) and Pfingstoratorium for five soloists, mixed chorus and small orchestra (1993).
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich has composed a number of works for voice and choral ensemble with piano, organ, brass and/or orchestral accompaniment. They include: A Simple Magnificat (1994), Immigrant Voices, One-Nation – Reflections on the “Pledge of Allegiance” (1991) and Thanksgiving Song (1986).
In stark contrast are the choral works of Sofia Gubaidulina, who was commissioned in 2000 by the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart project to compose the Johannes-Passion (Biblical: Passion According to John) in commemoration of Johann Sebastian Bach. In 2001 she was commissioned by Hannover Rundfunk to follow the earlier passion setting with Johannes-Ostern, a major work for the Easter liturgy. Both were large scale works scored for soloists, multiple choruses, organ and large orchestra.
Libby Larsen experiments with vocal sounds in Four Valentines (2000). This setting of texts by William Shakespeare and James Joyce was commissioned by the King’s Singers, demonstrating her unique and visionary use of sound design.
Thea Musgrave’s works for unaccompanied choir scores, as well as those for choir and orchestra, include: Cantata for a Summer’s Day, Celebration Day, Echoes Through Time, Remembering Harriet: A Story of the American Underground Railroad, The Five Ages of Man, and The Phoenix and the Turtle. In these works she demonstrates her ability to compose fresh sounds for various musical genres and to demonstrate a distinct musical signature.
Opera
In the case of musical theatre, and particularly opera, we find a number of important contributions by women composers. Violeta Dinescu’s opera Hunger und Durst (1985) received international acclaim. Dinescu’s compositional style is overlaid with her central approach to harmonic design and a sense for the dramatic.
Thea Musgrave’s chamber opera The Voice of Adriadne (1972-73) experiments with voices and recorded sounds. Premiered by the English Opera Group, it received critical acclaim and received its American premiere by the New York City Opera in 1977. She followed this with the two act opera Simon Bolivar (1992), commissioned by the Los Angeles Music Center Opera Association and the Scottish Opera. It received its world premiere in New York in 1995.
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