Immortal (2006) is perhaps the musical equivalent of a picture construed of other pictures. This piece contains three contrasting sections, each of which treat the text differently. The last of these sections is the only part in which the text is presented in its correct form. Preceding this, in the middle section, the words are rearranged to imply a seemingly religious connotation. In the first section, the words are broken down to syllables, and the word roots and parts sound only familiar, as if in a foreign Latin-based language. Musically, Immortal, presents a challange for many performers, particularly the vocalist. Although there are very few musical motives, they are often separated by large leaps, in places creating a pointillistic sound. Additionally, the vocalist is asked to sing quartertones, although the classical guitar is tuned down a quarter step on each string to assist this. Despite these challenges, this piece has been successfully performed by both tenor and soprano.
|
|---|
