Score
voice (and nothing more) / Elliott Gyger.
Library shelf no. Q 782.5554/GYG 1 [Available for loan]
Work Overview
The text for this work is a passionate diatribe on the transience
of the voice, from Emanuele Tesauro's "La metafisica del niente"
(The Metaphysics of Nothing). The voices are divided into three
groups: a solo quartet is flanked by two SATB choirs, allowing
for subtle variations in weight and emphasis, as well as
antiphonal and spatial effects.
One of the delightful paradoxes about the text is the way it
exploits so powerfully that which it claims to despise, i.e. the
power of the voice.
Tesauro's rhetoric is not merely literary, but demands to be
spoken aloud, with its compelling use of imagery, alliteration,
and above all rhythm (repetition and acceleration).
The title is similarly ambiguous. The phrase is a rough
translation of the Latin saying "Vox praetereaque nihil", which
is normally used to mean "all style and no substance" - but it
can also be read as an expression of amazement at the ability of
a great orator (or indeed a great choir!) to achieve so much with
voice (and nothing more).
Work Details
Year: 2011
Instrumentation: SATB quartet, double SATB choir.
Duration: 10 min.
Difficulty: Advanced
Commission note: Commissioned by Volti (Musical group).
First performance: by Volti (Musical group), Robert Geary — 13 May 11. Berkeley City Club, Berkeley, CA, USA
Performances of this work
13 May 11: Berkeley City Club, Berkeley, CA, USA. Featuring Volti (Musical group), Robert Geary.
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