death speaks (2012) 26'

program note

death speaks was commissioned by Carnegie Hall and Stanford Lively Arts, specifically to go on a program with the little match girl passion. The opportunity came without many other parameters, so there were a lot of questions I had to answer. Would the new piece be for an existing ensemble or some group I would assemble for these performances only? Would it relate to little match girl, musically or emotionally, or would it start from its own place?

Something that has always interested me about the little match girl story is that the place where we are left emotionally at the end is so far away from where the match girl is. We are all weeping at the end and yet she is happily transfigured, in the welcoming arms of her grandmother in heaven. The original story switches starkly back and forth at the end, between her state and ours, perhaps in order to show us just how far away from redemption we are; it is Andersen’s way of making us feel left behind.

This reminded me of certain other stark comparisons between the living and the dead. I remembered the structure of Schubert’s beautiful song “Death and the Maiden” in which the text is divided in half; the first half of the song is in the voice of the young girl, begging Death to pass her by, and the second half of the song is Death’s calming answer. This seemed to be the same division as in the Andersen story — the fear of the living opposed against the restfulness of death.

What makes the Schubert interesting is that Death is personified. It isn’t a state of being or a place or a metaphor, but a person, a character in a drama who can tell us in our own language what to expect in the World to Come. Schubert has a lot of songs with texts like these — I wondered if I assembled all of the instances of Death speaking directly to us then maybe a fuller portrait of his character might emerge. Most of these texts are melodramatic, hyper-romantic and over-emotional; one of the knocks on Schubert is that he often saved his best music for the worst poetry. Nevertheless, I felt that taking these overwrought comments by Death at face value just might lead me someplace worth going.

I went alphabetically in the German through every single Schubert song text (thank you, internet!) and compiled every instance of when the dead send a message to the living. Some of these are obvious and some are more speculative — Death is a named character in “Der Erlkönig,” the brook at the end of Die Schöne Müllerin speaks in Death’s name when it talks the miller into killing himself, the hurdy gurdy player at the end of Winterreise has long been interpreted as a stand-in for Death. All told, I have used excerpts from 32 songs, translating them very roughly and trimming them, in the same way that I adjusted the Bach texts in the little match girl passion.

Art songs have been moving out of classical music in the last many years — indie rock seems to be the place where Schubert’s sensibilities now lie, a better match for direct storytelling and intimate emotionality.

I started thinking that many of the most interesting musicians in that scene made the same journey themselves, beginning as classical musicians and drifting over to indie rock when they bumped up against the limits of where classical music was most comfortable. What would it be like to put together an ensemble of successful indie composer-performers and invite them back into classical music, the world from which they sprang?

I asked rock musicians Bryce Dessner, Owen Pallett, and Shara Worden to join me, and we added Nico Muhly, who, although not someone who left classical music, is certainly known and welcome in many musical environments. All of these musicians are composers who can write all the music they need themselves, so it is a tremendous honor for me to ask them to spend some of their musicality on my music.

Libretto

death speaks– words and music by david lang

1. you will return

you will return to dust
you will turn
return to dust

turn to the sun
like me, turn to the sun
turn to the light
turn to the light

if thereʼs an eye still open
grieving
sweet sleep
close it for me

turn your heart, your poor heart
it will only find rest
when it has stopped beating

turn to peace
turn to peace
this is the only road that leads you home

enter

I am your pale companion
I mirror your pain
I was your shadow
all those long nights, all those days long past

listen to me
this message is for you
where I am now, all sorrow is gone
where I am now, all lovers are together
where I am now
in my arms only will you find rest
gentle rest

2. I hear you

I hear you
I hear you call
I pity you
I am your friend
I am not cruel
give me your hand
you will sleep so softly in my arms

when love breaks free from sorrow
a new star shines
a new star shines

three roses, half red, half white
they will never wither

the angels
they shed their wings
and fall

rest well
rest well
close your eyes
you will rest with me
until the river drains into the sea

Iʼll make a bed for you
the softest pillow
come, rest
everyone will sing for you
for you

I will protect you
from the hunter, from the forest
from the flowers, from your dreams
from the wicked girl, from her shadow
I will keep your eyes covered
I will protect you

good night, good night

3. mist is rising

mist is rising
moon is full and rising
sky above us
it is so full

I greet you, sister soul
rise up, like an eagle
rise up, to where the light is
rise up, to where the light is from

I am your rest, I am your peace
I am what you long for, and
what makes the longing go away
I am full of joy for you, and
I am full of grief
come in and close the door behind you
I will drive your sadnesses away
my eyes fill with your light
fill them
fill them

sweetest child
come with me
I will play with you
I will show you
the flowers and the shore
my motherʼs golden robe
my daughters and their evening dance
they know a song to sing while you are sleeping
I love you
I love all of you
I love your face
I love your form
please donʼt make me make you follow me

come and see

tears of love become strands of pearls
when the angel comes

4. pain changes

pain changes every shape

once you are truly lonely
you will never be alone

feel my hand
I feel you
touch my cold hand
I will take you
from her
to your new cold land

I have chosen you
my only love
those others
they search for you
but
where they search
they will never find you

after the leaves fall, spring returns
after love is parted, it returns
all you have to do is
come with me
and wait
one day she will be lowered in the earth
beside you
my hand will guide her home
to the place where love is
and no pain

when that door opens
you will be healed

dearest man, dearest woman
dearest boy, dearest girl
dearest mother, dearest father
dearest son, dearest daughter
you will never leave me

you listen
you are silent
you feel me leaning towards you

nothing escapes me
not the warrior
not the hunter

everything awaits the way it changes
when life falls away
that is the meaning of the swan and its song

the night canʼt last forever
nor will this sleep
beyond this sleep is light
forever light
until that light can shine
until you see it shining
sleep sweetly here
in the cool, dark night

5. I am walking

I am walking in the sunlight
I see the moon, at my feet
I see the sun, at my feet
I walk in joy
I am kissed by angels

your heart
child of man
your heart canʼt know
what joy I feel

sister soul, come to rest

pure notes of love
echo around you
a lily, a rose
they wait for you
while you sleep

only you can hear me
only you can see me
only you can hear the music
it never stops

© 2013, Red Poppy, LTD.

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