THE PLANETS WITH HEYWARD
ensembles and orchestras worldwide . In Sukkot Through Orion ’ s Nebula , commissioned by The Sphinx Commissioning Consortium and premiered by Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony Orchestra , sacred themes intertwine with the celestial as the constellation Orion becomes both a literal and symbolic reference point . Of Sukkot , Lee writes :
Sukkot Through Orion ’ s Nebula is a festive work for orchestra . Sukkot is a Hebrew word for the “ Feast of Tabernacles .” In biblical days , this holiday was celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei . It was the most joyous of the fall festivals that God mandated the Hebrews to observe . It was also a thanksgiving celebration for the blessings of the fall harvest . Orion ’ s Nebula refers to the Orion constellation in space . The structure of this nebula forms a roughly spherical cloud that peaks in density near the core . The cloud displays a range of velocities and turbulence , particularly around the core region .
This work is loosely constructed in a ternary form of seven small sections [ briefly summarized below ]. It is a musical commentary on the eschatological application of the antitypical “ day of atonement ” ( Yom Kippur ) and the “ feast of tabernacles ” ( Sukkot ).
1 . Reminiscences of the Feast of Trumpets ( Rosh Hashanah ) and the Day of Atonement ( Yom Kippur ) by percussive forceful sounds of the snare and bass drums open the work . This is further enhanced by the horns , which imitate the calls of the shofar ( a horn used for Jewish religious purposes ).
2 . The full orchestra continues to a cadence foreshadowing the grand advent of God .
3 . The woodwinds follow with joyful passages of flourishes and dancelike celebrations , which imitate the people ’ s reception of the Messiah . The motives pass to the percussion section , piano , harp , and eventually the strings .
4 . Previous melodies and motives are developed and transformed among the orchestra . This section is a musical commentary celebrating the Second Coming of God .
5 . The Orion constellation is the one constellation mentioned specifically in the Old Testament . Revelation 14 presents imagery of a harvest and later in the book , the city of the New Jerusalem is presented as coming down from heaven . The muted brass , singing violins , percussion instruments , and woodwinds are employed which is intended to evoke celestial images of the Messiah coming down out of heaven . At various points , violins soar in the higher registers that tend to have a quality of weightlessness . Trills among the strings cease as they continue to climb to heights of bliss in paradise . I have created a leitmotif for the name Michael that occurs in an earlier orchestral work of mine . This melody is heard in the horns as we move onto the next section .
6 . The bass and snare drums provide a reprise of the “ shofar theme .” This continues with orchestral exclamations of joy .
7 . There are passages of “ call-and-response ” among the ensemble in the final celebration that continues until the work ends with an explosion of sound . — James Lee III
Instrumentation : Three flutes ( one doubling piccolo ), three oboes , two clarinets , bass clarinet , two bassoons , contrabassoon , four horns , three trumpets , three trombones , tuba , timpani , percussion , harp , piano , celeste , and strings .
Anna Clyne
Born March 9 , 1980 in London , United Kingdom Resides in New Paltz , New York
GLASSLANDS [ 2022 ] Folklore and mythology hold a special allure in the artistic imagination of Anna Clyne . The former BSO Composer in Residence ( 2015 – 16 ) has drawn wideranging inspiration from visual art and poetry , among other source materials , transforming the stories they evoke into kaleidoscopic tapestries of musical expression . In Glasslands , a three-part composition for soprano saxophone and orchestra , Clyne reimagines the piercing cry of the saxophone as the wailing of Irish mythological spirits . Per Clyne : “ Glasslands conjures an imaginary world of three realms governed by the banshee — a female spirit who […] heralds the death of a family member , usually by wailing , shrieking , or keening in the silence of the night .”
The banshee , anglicized from the Irish bean sí (“ woman of the otherworld ”), is often depicted as a cloaked figure combing her long hair while wailing into the night . Thought to be the spirit of a woman who , in life , suffered an injustice or committed a grievous wrong , the banshee emits chilling cries and claps her hands to warn of impending death , traditionally among Gaelic noble families . The legend may stem from professional keeners — women who performed rituals of rhythmic wailing at funerals of the wealthy — or , perhaps , from barn owls , whose eerie screeches may have been interpreted as portents of death .
Glasslands opens with the urgent wail of the saxophone , evoking the banshee ’ s cry . In part two , a tender counterpoint between cello and saxophone gives way to a fiery crest before ceding to a reflective denouement . The ominous final part intertwines vibraphone and saxophone above strings — alternately pizzicato ( plucked ) and bowed — producing an effect by turns foreboding and playful before the saxophone soloist unleashes a final keening cry .
Instrumentation : Two flutes , ( second doubling piccolo ), two oboes , two clarinets , two bassoons , two horns , two trumpets , trombone , tuba , percussion , and strings , in addition to solo soprano saxophone .
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