O Notte

Chamber cantata for soprano, recorder, clarinet, vibraphone, violin and viola da gamba commissioned by opera singer Júlia Vajda

Italian lyrics by Michalengelo

PARTS:

I. O notte, o dolce tempo…  (2 min 20 sec)
II. …Tu mozzi e tronchi… (2 min 10 sec)
III. … O ombra del morir… (1 min 50 sec)
III. Vivo al peccato… (1 min)
V. .. Serva mie libertá… (1 min 30 sec)

Composer’s Note

This cantata was composed at the request of Júlia Vajda. I slightly modified my original instrumentation to include flute, clarinet, triangle, harp, vibraphone, violin, and cello. I deliberately omitted the double bass to keep the texture in the middle and upper registers, creating a floating, bass-less sound world with a somewhat archaic character.

While selecting the text, I ultimately chose the poetry of Michelangelo. I wanted the focus to be on transience — and to reflect this theme, I sought verse from a bygone era. My plan was to set Renaissance or Baroque poetry in its original language. Shakespeare’s English felt too elusive; with Italian Renaissance and Baroque literature I found no such barrier. I also wished to avoid widely known texts, which led me away from Shakespeare and toward Michelangelo.

In setting the text, I aimed for conciseness and emotional distance. I wanted to avoid melodrama or sentimentality. The instrumental writing is quite motoric, weaving a strict texture around a restrained vocal line. I divided the selected lines from two of Michelangelo’s poems into five movements. The vocal style avoids all romantic or expressive traits, instead evoking the simplicity of the Renaissance — both musically and in performance.

Although the work is scored for modern instruments, its true sonic ideal would include Baroque strings and a recorder alongside the ensemble.

Premiere:
11 June 2021, 7:00 PM
Kortárs Korzó
Korzó Zeneház, Szeged