Skip to product information
1 of 9

Louis Karchin

ANCIENT SCENES

ANCIENT SCENES

Soprano, Flute, Clarinet, Violin, Cello, Piano, and Percussion

Composer's Note:

There were several sources of inspiration for Ancient Scenes, and it is a more programmatic work than most others I have written. One obvious influence was the beautiful poetry of the late Seamus Heaney, Ireland's Nobel Prize-winning poet. The second was a visit to the ancient town of Auvillar, France, where I was invited to spend a week as composer-in-residence at the Etchings Festival in 2010. The town had an ancient market area dating back to Roman times, and also had been (and is still today) a stopping-off point for pilgrims en-route to a sacred shrine in the Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela. I envisioned the development of such a town in its early stages. The instrumental movements (I Origins, II Constructions, V Journeys: Pilgrims, Prayer, Conflicts, Reconciliations) suggest a chronological trajectory. The songs (II, III, VI, and VII) are stops along the way. The first poem takes its cue from the sound of a crowd echoing through an ancient coliseum; the second accompanies a dance (sounding more Irish than French to my ear) that might have been performed as festive entertainment. The third song is a reflection on the fragility of the human condition, and the last paints a portrait of a still harbor shimmering in the light.

Reviews:

"This was the most purely contemporary piece of the evening. It's challenging, yet attractive in the best modern sense. There's a real urgency and sense of forward motion to the instrumental movements, presented superbly, as usual, by this fine ensemble."

(Performance by the Da Capo Chamber Players.)- James Grant, SoundWordSight Arts Magazine

"These words and these sensations"”if we allowed it"”reached another level of our consciousness. The splendid lyric soprano, Marisa Karchin, was confident, dramatic when needed, and most important--articulated with diaphanous clarity."

- Harry Rolnick, Concerto.net


Movements: I. Origins, II. Constructions, III. & IV. Celebrations, V. Journeys, VI. Reflections, VII. Tranquility

Authored (or revised): 2014

Text source: Seamus Heaney The Rain Stick, Lightenings i, iv, Settings xxiv, Used by permission of Faber & Faber, London

Duration (minutes): 25

First performance: The Washington Square Ensemble with Sharon Harms, soprano and Louis Karchin, conductor; Tenri Cultural Institute, NYC, April 12, 2014

Book format: Score + 6 parts


SKU

ACA-KARC-015
Regular price $132.00
Sale price $132.00 Regular price
Sale Sold out
Format
View full details

Shipping

We ship world-wide using US International Postal Mail - Priority, First Class International Mail, or UPS Global. In the US, we usually use US Priority Mail or Media Mail or UPS Ground services.

Return Policy

Orders received damaged will be replaced immediately at no additional charge. Refunds requested will be issued back to the original payment
method. 

PDF files are not refundable and are considered permanent loan rentals licensed to the customer who purchased.

Purchasing any digital PDFs from American Composers Alliance grants you an unlimited license for your personal use only. ACA grants permission for you to duplicate the score and files as needed for performance.

Any other use of the PDF files may require additional permission from ACA. Purchase and download of PDFs does not automatically include performing and recording rights.

PDF files are not refundable and are considered permanent loan rentals licensed to the customer who purchased.

Contact us / inquire about this work