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MP3 The Bay Area Philharmonic and Chorus - Michelle Ende: Symphony No. 2 in E Major, Op. 12: The Ethereal
5 MP3 Songs in this album (70:11) !
Related styles: CLASSICAL: Orchestral, CLASSICAL: Postmodern
People who are interested in Gustav Mahler Jean Sibelius Carl Nielsen should consider this download.
Details:
The Symphony No. 2 in E Major; Opus 12 – The Ethereal
Synopsis
When examining the score of the second symphony by Michelle Ende’, the notation Ethereal is attached to the work. Notes from some of Ms. Ende’s letters indicate that the work was inspired by the Walt Whitman poem, “Whispers of Heavenly Death”, one of Whitman’s later works. In one of the lines, great masses of clouds are depicted, “mournfully slowly the roll, silently swelling and mixing.” This sums the first movement and indeed, the first section of the work. The entire theme of the work is that of eternal recurrence; the idea that one can relive life in different forms throughout the ages. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant. What is relevant is that this work speaks to this idea and brings it into an artistic focus. This is true creativity; the making of something entirely new from nothing.
Section One – The Passing
I Maestoso
The work opens with two repeating notes from E Major to C Augmented and continues forward, depicting the rolling and broiling clouds, the spiritual realm, if you will, through which the soul departs on its way to a better life. Using broken phrasing and intermittent melody, an almost random approach to the thematic material is achieved. Much like the works of the late John Cage, this work appears to be chaotic, with no real direction; yet, the work is thoroughly scored and the randomness is only an appearance. The listener can hear the swelling and rolling of great clouds, intermittent openings in the clouds, and short glimpses of the heavens, the world to come. Toward the end of this movement, great horn chorals are heard emerging from the cloud of dissonance, like clear moonlight in storm. (21:54)
II Adagio
The second movement is a sweet rendition of the heavenly life complete with harps, solo violins and very light orchestration. One can almost feel the Elysian Fields beneath their toes, running across the great prairies that no doubt, Ms. Ende’ saw in her mind’s eye when composing and scoring this section. The great Illinois prairies in which she grew up must have seemed idyllic to her. She once told me that she and her sister used to lay in the corn rows of a nearby farm on particularly hot summer days. The cool earth would dispel all heat and they would be refreshed. Such is the power of Earth, of simple soil. (12:00)
Section Two – The Metamorphisis
III Allegretto
A great event seems to be heralded by this solo English Horn reverberating through the heavens, echoed by the Bassoon and Horns. “Some parturition rather, some solemn immortal birth” is the tenth line from the Walt Whitman poem. The soprano chorus and orchestra call to each other in expectation of something great about to occur; the birth or rebirth of the human soul in the likeness of the Almighty. This movement is reminiscent of Ms. Ende’s Requiem Mass. Although written years apart, the two works are similar in thought and execution. Perhaps it is this movement which lends its mood best to the title Ethereal. It is also in this movement that the fragments of melody which appeared in the first movement now come to rest in an entire melodic structure as if the elements of the former life have now coalesced into a complete being. (13:56)
IV Allegro Con Fuoco
Quickly with fire is the translation for this movement, the deliverance of the soul from the heavenly realms back to the Earthly plane of existence. Ms. Ende’ has alluded to the depiction of guardian angels bringing the soul safely back to Earth in a rush of anticipation. Leaving this life seems to be a solitary event in Ms. Ende’s mind, but arrival here is quite another. Almost a “group thing” seems to occur when listening to this movement, as if great angelic heralds are brining new souls to the planet every day. (8:03)
Section Three – The Rekindling
V Allegretto Con Moto
We finally arrive to the last movement loosely arranged in three sections in which the reborn soul experiences the pains of birth as depicted by the Col Legno Violas and the presence of percussion; the great Waltz of Life itself introduced by the solo Clarinet; the embrace of the new life as heralded by the Horns and eventually taken up by the entire orchestra. This is a resplendent musical tapestry of the soul’s possible journey. Many of the elements in this movement can be noted in the second movement of Ms. Ende’s Sixth Symphony, written years later. A consistency in approach and execution make listening to Ms. Ende’s music a pleasure as one can hear the evolution of the composer as experience is garnered both in the conception as well as in the writing and execution of her works. (14:18)
Notes by Peter Stanislauw
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