THE SONG OF SONGS

Composer: 
Jody Rockmaker
Instrumentation freestyle: 
S, T, cham orch: fl, cl, vln, vc, 2perc
Year Authored: 
2004
Duration (min): 
16:
Movements-Titles: 
5
Text Source/Author: 
Song of Songs, translation by Ariel and Chana Bloch

I had the opportunity of hearing Chana Bloch read from her translation of The Song of Songs shortly after it was published in 1995. I was deeply moved by the beauty of this sensual poem, and knew I would one day set it to music. The story about the sexual awakening of a young woman and her lover is told in a series of subtly articulated scenes, where the two meet in an idealized landscape of fertility and abundance and discover the pleasures of love. The work is in 5 movements. I excerpted some of the most powerfully emotional sections of the poem, alternating between the woman and man, before a final ecstatic duet.

Publisher: 
ACA
Publisher URL: 
American Composers Alliance

Ensemble Type

Instruments