a house (2016) 18'
text by David Lang
SATB
Northwestern University
program note
a house was commissioned by Northwestern University, to honor the opening of their new music building, the Ryan Center for the Musical Arts. This is a big responsibility for a piece of music, and I started thinking about my piece as a kind of benediction, and as a wish for the future, for all the good work that could now happen within this new environment.
I remembered the proverb: Through wisdom is a house built, and by understanding it is established; And by knowledge are the chambers filled with all precious and pleasant riches. That seemed very appropriate for the opening of a new building at a university, since, ideally, the ‘precious and pleasant riches’ with which the chambers would be filled would be knowledge itself.
I wondered if I could mirror in my piece the building of a building, if I could lay out my bricks and my mortar, and then painstakingly assemble them into chambers, filled with riches. I found nineteen different translations of the proverb, each slightly different. I separated out only the individual words necessary to be able to create all nineteen versions and I arranged them alphabetically – these are the bricks of my building. I then divided each of the nineteen versions into their smaller phrases, arranging them alphabetically as well. Of course, the goal of education is wisdom. Luckily for me, and thanks to the alphabet, it is the goal of my text, as well.
a house was commissioned by Northwestern University, Henry and Leigh Bienen School of Music, and was premiered by the Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble, Donald Nally, Director, Sunday April 17, 2016, Mary B. Galvin Recital Hall, Ryan Center for the Musical Arts.