Stravinsky and Larsen "do" Eliot

Synopsis

The poetry of the 20th century writer T.S. Eliot has inspired some memorable 20th century music, ranging from the silly (like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Cats”) to the solemn (like Igor Stravinsky’s anthem “The Dove Descending Breaks the Air,” a setting of some lines from Eliot’s poem “Little Gidding.”)

Some lines from that same Eliot poem haunted the American composer Libby Larsen for years, and eventually resulted in an orchestral tone poem entitled “Ring of Fire.”

The lines from Eliot’s poem read as follows: “We only live, only suspire, consumed by either fire or fire.”

“What does it mean, to be consumed by either fire or fire?” wrote Larsen in the preface to her score. “What does it mean to live consumed by passion or passion?” asked Larsen, and came up with a musical answer. As she explained, “The image is ignited musically by a melodic fragment in the tremolo strings echoed here and there by solo horn. To suggest flame, I added woodwind arpeggios and a two-chord motive which are heard in bursts of activity, extended string lines, and brief articulations from the woodwinds, brass and cymbals.”

Larsen’s tone-poem “Ring of Fire” received its premiere performance on today’s date in 1995, at a concert by the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the ensemble that had commissioned the work. In addition to her tone-poem, Larsen has written a number of other works for the modern symphony orchestra, including several symphonies.

Music Played in Today's Program

Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971) The Dove Descending The Gregg Smith Singers; St. Luke's Orchestra; Robert Craft, cond. MusicMasters 67152

Libby Larsen (b. 1950) Ring of Fire London Symphony; Joel Revzen, cond. Koch 7370

On This Day

Births

• 1799 - French opera composer Jacques-François-Fromental-Elie Halévy, in Paris;

• 1822 - German composer Joseph Joachim Raff, in Lachen, near Zürich;

• 1888 - French composer and member of "Les Six," Louis Durey, in Paris;

• 1922 - German-born American composer Margaret Buechner, in Hannover;

• 1928 - Scottish composer Thea Musgrave, in Edinburgh;

Deaths

• 1840 - Italian composer and violinist Nicollo Paganini, age 57, in Nice;

Premieres

• 1899 - Ravel: "Sh é h érazade (Fairy Overture)," at a Societe Nationale Concert at the Salle du Nouveau-Thèâtre in Paris;

• 1906 - Mahler: Symphony No. 6, in Essen, with the composer conducting;

• 1947 - Martinu: Symphony No. 5, in Prague;

• 1976 - Dello Joio: "Colonial Variants" for orchestra, in Philadelphia;

• 1981 - Bernstein: "Halil" for Flute and Orchestra, in Tel Aviv, with the Israel Philharmonic conducted by the composer, with Jean-Pierre Rampal the soloist;

• 1995 - Libby Larsen: "Ring of Fire" for orchestra, by the Charlotte Symphony (N.C.), Peter McCoppin conducting;

• 2001 - Saariaho: "Song for Betty," dedicated to the 80-year old music patron, Betty Freeman, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting; See May 25 & 26 as well.