Category: Chamber Music
Musica arcaica Nr.1 is a Piano Trio full of vitality and energy. It is the first in a series of chamber music works with a compositional focus on the music of other cultures. The ancient Cyprian shepherds' song Voskos motivated me to focus on the utilisation of the archaic com positional techniques bourdon, heterophony and ostinato. Here the emphasis was not merely confined to the execution of particular compositional techniques, but also involved the evocation of the inherent atmospheres of the shepherds' song.
Movements: - Bordun
- Quasi unisono
- Ostinato
Duration: 10-11 Minutes
Publisher of notes/sheet music: Schott Music Mainz , ED 20659 , 2011
Instrumentation: Trio: Violin, cello and piano
Solo instruments: Klavier, Violincello, Violine
Introduction: Musica arcaica NO.1 is the first in aseries of chamber music works with a compositional focus on the music of other cultures (songs, dances, instrumental works and genres). The ancient Cyprian shepherds' song Voskos motivated me to focus on the utilisation of the archaic com positional techniques bourdon, heterophony and ostinato. Here the emphasis was not merely confined to the execution of particular compositional techniques, but also involved the evocation of the inherent atmospheres of the shepherds' song: the wistfullamentation in the first half"I was born in the confines of the sheepcote and will also die there" and the ecstatic, defiant and yet praud acceptance of the thought of death "Not one of you knows death, or old age!" in the second part of the song. This is essentially defined by the Greek
rhythm 3+2+3 which can be clearly recognised as an ostinato.
I, the shepherd, was born in the sheepcote. This is where my meagre body will one day await death. Igreet the spruce and plane trees and the lovely myrtle. Not one ofyou isfamiliar with death, or the onset ofold age!
The shepherd sings plaintively and pessimistically of the transience of life fram the aspect of his own fate, as he was born as a shepherd and will also die as a shepherd.
Dedication: Dedicated to Dorothea Hormann, the co-initiator of "Cypriot Springs"
Additional remarks: Voskos/The Shepherd
I, the shepherd, was born in the sheepcote. This is where my meagre body will one day await death. Igreet the spruce and plane trees and the lovely myrtle. Not one of you is familiar with death, or the onset ofold age!
The shepherd sings plaintively and pessimistically of the transience of life fram the aspect of his own fate, as he was born as a shepherd and will also die as a shepherd.
World premiere: 04.11.2008, Gasteig, Munich Black Box
Performers at world premiere: 'Klaviertrio ars viva' with Dina Leini (Violin), Yi-Wen Wang (Cello) and Sylvia Dankesreiter (piano)
They played the audio examples 2008
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The audio examples 2020 are performed by von Sophia Oertel (Vl), Mufei Feng (Vc) und Georg Wendt (Pno)
