SKU: HL.4008005

How often has something been justified by, declared to be, or blessed as “in the name of” some cause or other? How can it be that opposing armies and the use of weapons are ever “in the name of”...? This is a common thread in the history of different faiths. Good was created but evil was committed and all “in the name of...” This thread is also found in the history of the Premonstratensian Abbey at Wadgassen. The abbey was built in the 12th century on unfertile, desolate moorland, which later evolved into the most powerful religious community in the Saarland. The history of the abbey records quite astounding achievements under the motto desertum florebit quasi lilium (“the desert will bloom like a lily”); but also the harsh treatment of delinquents. The order had its own school, in which children were taught the seven liberal arts (which included music as well as geography and astronomy), but the poor were left to starve outside the abbey walls and were only allowed to eat from the members' on feast days. The medieval witch trials demanded their pound of flesh, and one group that fell victim were ecstatic dancers who moved wildly to music--which was interpreted as the devil's work. The result: a show trial that sentenced the dancers to death by fire. All in the name of... The year is 1789: Abbot Bordier is in the tenth year of his command. He does not yet know that he is to be the last abbot of an almost 700-year-tradition. Not far from the abbey is the French border, which has long been making itself felt with the sound of gunfire, and the brothers continue to keep a nervous eye on it. The first portents of the French Revolution loom, but no one wants to believe it--that is, until the French pound the door down, storm the abbey and come right into the brothers' chambers. In a blind fury, all the pipes of the abbey organ are torn out, icons beheaded with swords and brothers beaten death while numerous buildings are set on fire. The abbey church is in flames. A frantic and desperate escape begins. Abbot Bordier and a handful of brothers make their getaway via the River Saar, adjacent to the abbey, to the neighbouring village of Bous. They survive, but their life--the Premonstratensian abbey--is destroyed. While they flee towards Prague and the sanctuary of the Strahov Monastery, the abbey at Wadgassen is razed to the ground and becomes a stone quarry. The desert blooms once more, however. A few short decades later, a glasswork arises from the foundations of the abbey. As peace returns to the region, it brings jobs and a new vision for its people.

SKU: PR.11441271S

UPC: 680160587094. 8.5 x 11 inches. Poem by Du Fu (712-770 in Tang Dynasty).

It's like the welcome rain on a quiet spring night that nurtures the budding seeds, our new society is pushing us forward to the new future. This music reflects the scenes and the expression according to the meaning of the poem when it's being unfolded line by line. Although the tempo is set 60-70 quarter notes per minute throughout (played vividly, never slow down), the tension is being built up from the quiet background in the beginning, to the sustained climax towards the end. The musical image in Rehersal A and B (measures 1 - 41) represents the first four lines of the poem. The woodwind instruments response to the rustling of fast moving notes on muted string triplets, decorated by occasional strokes produced by metallic string sound and high piano gestures. The music in Rehersal C and D (measures 42-87) represents the next two lines of the poem. It's so dark, a little light in the boat is shimmering on the lake... The breathy key slaps on the flute creates a mysterious atmosphere, in a dialogue with other instruments. The cello glissandi recite the poem in the tone of Mandarin, echoed by the string harmonics. The music in Rehersal E, F, G (m 88 - 161) is a toccata, starting with the piano, which builds up a big shape, to reach the climax in m. 116, and keeps the vivid scene towards the coda (Rehersal H, m. 162 - the end), which stands on the energetic peak at the end of the piece.
Commissioned by the Music From Copland House ensemble, supported by a grant from the NYSCA’s Composer’s Commissions program in 2002, my mixed ensemble piece Happy Rain on a Spring Night is written for all five instruments in the ensemble: flute, clarinet, violin, cello and piano, and premiered on Oct. 18, 2004, at Merkin Hall in New York.  The musical imagination came from an ancient Chinese poem with the same title, written by Du Fu (712-770) in the Tang Dynasty. Happy Rain on a Spring Nightby Du Fu (712-770 in the Tang Dynasty) Happy rain comes in time,When spring is in its prime.With night breeze it will fall,And quietly moisten all.Clouds darken wild roads,Light brightens a little boat.Saturated at dawn,With flowers blooming the town. (English translation by Chen Yi from the original poem in Chinese) It’s like the welcome rain on a quiet spring night that nurtures the budding seeds; our new society is pushing us forward to the new future.  The music reflects the scenes and the expression according to the meaning of the poem when it’s being unfolded line by line.  Although the tempo is set 60-70 quarter notes per minute throughout (played vividly, never slowing down), the tension is being built up from the quiet background in the beginning, to the sustained climax towards the end.  The musical image in Rehearsal A and B (measures 1-41) represents the first four lines of the poem.  The woodwind instruments respond to the rustling of fast moving notes on muted string triplets, decorated by occasional strokes produced by metallic string sound and high piano gestures.  The music in Rehearsal C and D (measures 42-87) represents the next two lines of the poem.  It’s so dark, a little light in the boat is shimmering on the lake...  The breathy key slaps on the flute create a mysterious atmosphere, in a dialogue with other instruments.  The cello glissandi recite the poem in the tone of Mandarin, echoed by the string harmonics.  The music in Rehearsal E, F and G (m 88-161) is a toccata, starting with the piano, which builds up a big shape, to reach the climax in m. 116, and keeps the vivid scene towards the coda (Rehearsal H, m. 162-192), which stands on the energetic peak at the end of the piece. According to the principle of the Golden Section, I have constructed the piece with two large parts (m. 1-115 and m. 116-192).  The GS falls onto the beginning of the climax section of the piece, which is exciting and loud.  All subdivisions of the structures coincide with the numbers of proportions based on the GS principle.  The music has textures changed according to the proportional arrangement throughout the piece. First Part (m. 1-115, total 115 measures), including two sectionsSection I (m. 1-69, total 69 measures), including two divisionsFirst Division (m. 1-41, total 41 measures), including two subdivisions:Subdivision I (m. 1-25, total 25 measures)Rehearsal A, violin triplets + cello metalic sound in small intervals, followed by woodwinds.Subdivision II (m. 26-41, total 16 measures)Rehearsal B, cello triplets + violin metallic sound in small intervals, overlapped by woodwinds.Second Division (m. 42-69, total 28 measures)Rehearsal C, breathy key slaps on flute, in dark.Section II (m. 70-115, total 46 measures), including two divisionsFirst Division (m. 70-87, total 18 measures)Rehearsal D, soft cello reciting, followed by string harmonics & woodwind “echo” passages.Second Division (m. 88-115, total 28 measures)Rehearsal E, starts to buildup the excitement, with piano toccata in the beginning. When it reachesthe patterns on the top of the keyboard, the lowest passages on piano and cello punch in, andreview the pitch material with small intervals.Second Part (m.116-192, total 77 measures), including two sectionsSection I (m. 116-161, total 46 measures), including two divisionsFirst Division (m. 116-133, total 18 measures)Rehearsal F, the excitement reaches the climax, GS located. All instruments join in.Second Division (m. 134-161, total 28 measures)Rehearsal G, combination of E and F, continue to buildup.Section II (m. 162-192, total 31 measures)Rehearsal H, coda, keep the excitement on the peak.