Four Earth Songs
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Subtitle: For Soprano and Fanfare Orchestra
General Info
Year: 2008
Duration: c. 25:00
Difficulty: VI (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: De Haske
Cost: Score and Parts (print) - €407.00 | Score Only (print) - €98.00
Movements
1. Tears of Nature – 8:00
2. Grrrevolution – 7:15
3. Stand up! – 3:50
4. Tomorrow – 7:25
Instrumentation
Full Score
B-flat Soprano Saxophone I-II
E-flat Alto Saxophone I-II
B-flat Tenor Saxophone I-II
E-flat Baritone Saxophone
Flugelhorn I-II-III
B-flat Piccolo Trumpet
B-flat Trumpet I-II-III
Horn in F I-II-III-IV
Trombone I-II-III
Bass Trombone
Euphonium
Tuba
Piano
Timpani
Percussion I-II-III-IV-V
(percussion detail desired)
Errata
None discovered thus far.
Program Notes
Jessica Kuhn writes (2009-07-08):
We were treated to another world premier with Marco Pütz's Four Earth Songs. The maturation of Pütz's compositional technique was evident with this stunning work for soprano and fanfare orchestra. The four-movement work interprets a collection of poems by Greame King about the devastating effects of humanity on our Earth. Our attention was immediately fixed with the opening fff chord that diminishes to ppp almost immediately, to open the work with Tears of Nature . The sound of the orchestra makes way for the soprano as the incredible music is crafted to add drama to the poetry, without ever getting in the way of the soloist. Pütz's use of pitch material for dramatic effect, inventive melody, and harmonic stability is always supporting the pristine architecture of the movement.
Grrrevolution is a witty contrast to the dramatic first movement, while maintaining the drama that has been present throughout the work. The final movement, Tomorrow , reveals the idea of devastation with its ominous harmonies set against a chorale that seems to represent hope in its purest sense.
The music of Four Earth Songs is by far stronger than the poetry that inspired it and Marco Pütz has firmly found a place as an incredibly important composer for the wind band....
- Program Note by World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE)
The hymn Nun ruhen alle Wälder (Now All Forests Rest), arranged by J.S. Bach (No. 6, So sei nun, Seele, deine, from Cantata BWV 13), is a guiding light throughout this four-movement composition. Pütz wrote this work as a musical outcry against the willful, profit-driven destruction of our environment. When Bach used the word “ruhen” (to rest) over 350 years ago, it probably had a different nuance from the meaning it has today. At the beginning of the 21st century - the so-called age of progress - “nun ruhen alle Wälder” should mean “now all forests die” . Massive industrialization and globalization, coupled with pure greed, corruption, political scandals, an ever-widening gap between the rich and poor, and other such senseless human actions, are pushing our blue planet closer and closer to the point of no return.
This work is not intended to be a ranting accusation. It should remind us of the beauty and harmony that can exist all around us in nature, if we take care of it. Pütz hopes that this will, one day, help put a greater emphasis on humanity’s survival, and coexistence with nature rather than the exploitation described earlier.
All four texts were created by Australian poet Graeme King, whose works were discovered by Pütz by chance on the Internet. Pütz was especially captivated by King’s clarity, and intrigued by the possibilities of adapting and melding the strong rhythmical structure of King’s writing with his own musical language.
The world première of Four Earth Songs took place on 7 July 2009 at the 14th WASBE-Conference in Cincinnati (USA). This work is dedicated in friendship to Jouke Hoekstra, conductor, and the Frysk Fanfare Orkest (the Frisian Fanfare-Orchestra).
- Program Note from publisher
Dedicated to the Frysk Fanfare Orkest and its conductor Jouke Hoekstra.
- Program Note from score
Awards
- Four Earth Songs has been recommended as interesting, serious and distinctive music by members of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE).
Media
- Audio: Reference recording. Frysk Fanfare Orkest (Jouke Hoekstra, conductor; Tomoko Hayakawa, soprano) – 11 September 2011
- Audio CD: Frysk Fanfare Orkest (Jouke Hoekstra, conductor; Janny Zomer, soprano) - 2009
State Ratings
None discovered thus far.
Performances
To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project
Works for Winds by This Composer
- Arrows of Lightning (2007)
- Dance Sequence (2002/2003)
- Derivations (2003)
- Die Mahung der Toten (2020)
- Four Earth Songs (2008)
- Four Sketches for Band (2007)
- Konzertstück (1999)
- Meltdown (1992)
- Schattengänge (2018)
- Then Thy Words Will Take Wing (2011)
- Three Sketches for Band (2004)
- Time for Outrage! (2014)
- Trigger (2017)
- Trumpet Concerto (2006)
Resources
- Perusal score
- World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Accessed 10 August 2016