 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
for Chorus, Piano and Orchestra
I. The Allemande Ecclesiastes 3:14
As is traditional in the baroque suites, the first movement, for solo piano, is an allemande. This is the only movement which Is not tied to a particular dance story in the Bible. It is simply a prelude to prepare the hearts for 'The Word' to come. Starting with it's usual pick-up note, It runs through a variety of melodic and contrapuntal lines going "every which way" in a "Jazzy-qospely" fashion, following not even one of J.S.Bach's (or my theory teacher's) rules of counterpoint. The movement ends with the majestic trumpet calls introduced by the horns In the second movement.
II. The Sarabande II Samuel 5:13-16, I Chronicles 15:14-29
The Sarabande is a dance in triple meter, differing from the waltz In that its stress is on the second beat rather than the first. Although the opening section for brass choir Is scored In 4/4 meter, the stress points occur giving the illusion of triple meter. The Bible records King David as the leader of the worshipping entourage as the sacred Ark Is brought Into the City. After the majestic entrance. David "gets down" and dances with all his might before his God as portrayed In the rhythmic middle section of mixed meter.
The Choir then sings a new modal harmonization of one of my favorite hymns. 'I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say", to give David (and the pianist) some rest. By the way, this theme was introduced by the brass at the beginning of the movement. Finally, the piano. chorus and orchestra join forces as David completes his Joyful, frenzied dance and collapses from exhaustion.
III. The Glgue Exodus 15:1,4,19-21
The Gigue is that quick movement often in 6/8 meter and usually found at the end of baroque keyboard suites. This movement celebrates the "Red Sea. victory" The women are fed with singing, dancing and the playing timbrels. similar to our modern-day tambourines. The text celebrates the tact that "The horse and the rider have been thrown into the sea."
After the singing is over. the eyewitnesses reminisce over God's deliverance of "His People" from the hands of the dreadful Pharaoh. The piano, upper strings, woodwind and harp provide "water music" using arpeggios and whole-tone scales moving furiously in every direction. Final victory Is assured when everything and everyone who is an 'enemy of God' Is swept away portrayed by rapid descending chromatic scales in the piano and xylophone against slower paced whole-tone scales in the upper strings.
IV. The Leap for Joy St. Luke 1:30-44
There is an element of mystery when one thinks about a baby leaping for joy in his mother's womb. As Elizabeth is told by Mary of the soon coming birth of Jesus, John "dances" for Joy. The alto section presents this rather atonal theme of nine notes on the text: "When John heard the news, He leaped for Joy." This rather ethereal conversation between piano, strings, high winds, and percussion portrays "John the Baptizer" leaping for Joy.
A soloist sings the tune in what I call, a "gospel bel canto" style. The choir picks up the theme written In the style of a spiritual creating the sound (If you can imagine) of the old "Wings Over Jordan Choir" coupled with the popular singing group "Take 6". The "leaps" in this movement are not very wide or percussive. The tone is gentle, after all, how far can a baby leap within his mother's womb?
V. The "Free Dance" St. Matthew 14:3-12. St. Mark 6:17-29
This movement Is the most somber in tone. It tells of the dance of Herodias' daughter traditionally called Salome. It is the dance that eventually leads to the beheading of John the Baptist. Dissonant minor seconds are used in the opening to "set-up" John the Baptist's death sentence.
Solo wind instruments alternate in representing Salome's seductive twists and turns. The piano cadenza, improvisatory in style, extracts themes from previous movements as the dance of Salome continues. Also in the cadenza the piano introduces one of the themes found in the finale. After the "beheading", the movement settles into a peaceful E-flat harmony, then moves again to the dissonances used in the opening bars. How ironic it is that John teaches us to "leap for joy" In the midst of adversity.
Vl. The Jubilee Acts 3:1. Psalms 150, Psalms 30:5,11
Another familiar dance-story is found in Acts telling of a crippled man who received healing though the ministry of Peter and John. These two who have "no silver and gold" offer "such as they have" which just happens to be "a word of healing from the Lord." They instruct the crippled man, in the name of Jesus Christ to "rise up and walk." Not only does he walk, he "leaps for joy as well."
The movement opens with a gospel chorale sung by the men's choir. After the healing, the celebration begins! The dance music so often heard in many Black churches around the world is acted-out by the piano and orchestra. Bits and pieces of the spiritual "Glory, Glory, Hallelujah, since I laid my burdens down" is divided in contrapuntal style amongst the choir.
A fugal treatment of another theme introduces the final praise celebration found In Psalms 150, ending with: "And don't forget to praise Him with the dance." The work ends with a sweeping bravura of chromatic octaves in the piano from one end of the keyboard to the other (and back), punctuated by various Instruments in the orchestra. DANCE, SAINTS DANCE!
The Fantasy Dance Suite OP_40 for Chorus, Piano and Orchestra was premiered by the Oklahoma City Philharmonic (Joel Levine, Music Director) and the Ambassador's Concert Choir (Kenneth Kilgore, Director), in May of 1994 in two special performances. This commissioned work was conducted by Maestro Douglas Newall with Glenn Burleigh as guest pianist/composer. Also performed on those programs was the Beethoven Choral Fantasy with Mr. Burleigh at the piano.