Notes from the composer
The Worker’s Lament is a contemplative piece dedicated to the working man of the industrial revolution, who is largely responsible for shaping the modern world as we know it. The piece is scored for solo harp, and it features many single note lines in its repeating sections to depict monotony and loneliness; a working man sentenced to a lifetime of redundant manual labor and labeled with a number instead of a name leads an empty life. The recurring monophonic lines take influence from traditional Japanese scales and harmonies to reflect my own personal writing style and to show that such feelings and obligations of a working man are not limited to one culture. ‘Worker’s Lament’ is structured as a rondo, but every time themes and melodies return, they grow and change, blurring the lines of reality for the audience and the working man alike as the work goes on.
First premiered at West Chester University, as part of the Harp Festival, November 16th, 2014. Commissioned by Gloria Galante. Performed by Elyse Kistler.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.