Details
- 11
- 2.2.2.2. 2.2.0.0. perc. (1) soprano strings
Score Excerpts
Program Notes
Sechs Mörike Lieder by Canadian composer Michael Matthews is a cycle of six orchestral songs based on poetry settings by Hugo Wolf, one of the most distinctive German Lied composers of the late 19th century. In this work, Matthews reimagines Wolf’s intimate piano originals for a broader orchestral palette, preserving their lyric intensity while expanding their emotional and textural scope.
The selected poems — drawn from the rich, often enigmatic verses of Eduard Mörike — include:
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Ein Stündlein wohl vor Tag
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Der Gärtner
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Zitronenfalter im April
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An den Schlaf
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Erstes Liebeslied eines Mädchens
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Nixe Binsefuß
Each movement captures a different mood, from wistful reverie to playful innocence and darkly folkloric imagination. Matthews’ orchestrations maintain a deep sensitivity to the vocal line, allowing the soprano to express the nuanced shifts in tone and meaning that characterize Mörike’s poetry and Wolf’s original songs.
This orchestral song cycle was composed for soprano Sarah Jo Kirsch, in collaboration with conductor Wanda Kaluzny and the Montreal Chamber Orchestra. It reflects Matthews’ ongoing engagement with text and voice, and his interest in recontextualizing historic musical material within a modern sonic language.
Interested in programming the music of Michael Matthews?
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