"Berceuse" by Stephen Paulus

"Berceuse" (1983)

from "Divertimento" for Harp and Orchestra

by Stephen Paulus

French: from bercer: to rock, 

from Old French bercier, from bers: cradle

a lullaby.

From the performer:

This is a baby picture of me; can you imagine rocking this monster to sleep? Taken a two days after I had surgery to remove a cyst that was so close to my right eye that they had to bring in a specialist, this picture embodies basically every emotion I wished to portray in my performance of this work.  

I am not a mother.  The idea of a lullaby is not one that I initially connected with in any type of real way.  Of course I have heard spectacular performances of lullabies by impassioned colleagues, but I have never personally experienced what I thought it would take to emotionally portray a lullaby.

"Berceuse" by Stephen Paulus found me in early January of this year.  I say it found me because although I was actively searching for 20th century solo harp music by American composers the moment that I heard this work it seemed to latch onto my soul.  I spent hours playing through the work over and over and over trying to find the perfect timing, spacing, and tone for each note.  It wasn't until I had lived with the work for a few months and had the opportunity to experience the music as I have chosen to portray it in the porch performance.

I see this work as being built upon two basic emotions: love, and the fear that comes along with that love; with an overarching intensity that drives the work forward.  I imagine this is the song that a mother hears as she rocks her baby to sleep at night, embodying the joy, fear, and question that is parenthood.

About the Composer:

Stephen Paulus (1949-2014) was a prolific American composer of classical music.  He wrote over 600 works for chorus, opera, orchestra, chamber ensemble, solo voice, concert band, piano, and organ, receiving premieres and performances throughout the world as well as a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Classical Composition in 2015.  His musical style has been described by The New York Times as "lush and extravagant," and critics from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Cleveland Plain Dealer Opera News, and many others have praised his work.  The New Yorker described him as a "bright, lyrical inventor whose music pulsates with a driving, kinetic energy."  He was a recipient of both NEA and Guggenheim Fellowships.

Paulus was a passionate advocate for the works and careers of his colleagues.  In 1973 he co-founded the Minnesota Composers Forum, now known as the American Composers Forum, the largest composer service organization in the U.S. 

Stephen Paulus passed away in October, 2014 from complications of a stroke, but his music continues to be frequently performed and described by critics as rugged, angular, lyrical, lean, rhythmically aggressive, original, often gorgeous, moving, and uniquely American.

taken from Stephen Paulus' website.

Watch the performance of "Berceuse" by Stephen Paulus

performed by Kristina Finch, harpist

New Beginnings: Far From Home

Far From Home: New American Harp Music 

Overview:

Conceived by harpist Kristina Finch, the "Far From Home" project brings together the talents of five well established American composers with the aim of creating not only new music for solo harp, but establishing a new American voice for the instrument.  Each composer has, at one point or another, previously written for harp in a chamber or orchestral setting, but never as a solo voice: a fact that was paramount in the inclusion of these specific individuals.

Through working one-on-one with Ms. Finch, composers Gregory Wanamaker, Clare Shore, Benjamin Broening, Nancy Bloomer Deussen, and Cary Ratcliff will each compose a 5-8 minute work for solo harp on the thematic concept "Far From Home."  Each of these works can serve either as a movement under the heading "Far From Home," or as individual pieces of solo harp repertoire, diversifying the future performance potential of these works.

Purpose:

If one were to ask you how much you know about the modern pedal harp, how would you answer? Most people know little to nothing about the harp, how it works, and how to compose in such a way that is not only playable but is also idiomatic and approachable.  The goals for this project are threefold: 1. to create exciting new music for the modern solo pedal harp, 2. to ignite an interest in the importance of new music in both students and audiences, and 3. to stimulate the creation of more new music for solo harp.

The world of American harp music has become stagnant.  Fewer works for solo harp are being written every year, and those that are written simply are not being played.  Without the re-ignition of excitement in the harp community the future of an American voice for harp seems bleak indeed.

Future:

The goal for the completion of the "Far From Home" Project is early 2016.  Kristina Finch will hold a non-traditional exclusivity agreement with each composer that states: once a performance of the work has been completed at an institute of higher education (college, university or conservatory) it will become available to the students and faculty of that establishment. Performances will be given at higher education institutions, new music festivals, community concert venues and series, national conferences, and YouTube videos.

From the Performer:

This project is very close to my heart. After completing my doctoral studies I found myself wondering what kind of music I wanted to be performing; upon initial searches for new American music for solo harp I came to the conclusion that this genre seems to be slowly dying.  Through the creating and performance of these five new works for solo harp by my "Mighty 5," I hope to stimulate further interest in composition for the instrument. Beyond this, I hope to also foster an excitement for new music in the young harp community with a grass-roots style movement: exemplifying that creation, interpretation and expression are not only for the powerful, but can be achieved by anyone with an idea and motivation.