Gingko Biloba
Monday, December 7, 2020 at 11:55AM 2020 | baritone/piano
Poem by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Translation by John Whaley, Peter Lang, Berne, 1998.
Used by permission of Peter Lang Ltd.
Gingko Biloba was written as a gift for Mina Miller and Music of Remembrance, to premiere on their virtual Gala December 6, 2020 with baritone Erich Parce and pianist Jessica Choe.
MOR’s 2020-21 season was titled “The Endurance of Hope,” so Mina suggested I reference the gingko tree in my song, as its deep roots and resilience enabled the species to survive even the atomic blast at Hiroshima. I found this Goethe poem, written for the actress Marianne von Willemer, to be perfect for song, due to its simple language combined with a complexity of thought.
The PDF is available for download from my site at MusicaNeo.com (also available from home page of this site). Hard copies are available from www.classicalvocalrep.com.