Song cycle: I Lie in This Coffin; A Load of Shoes; To My Child; Beneath the Whiteness of Your Stars; No Sad Songs, Please.
2004 | baritone or mezzo-soprano/cello/piano.
Poems by Vilna Ghetto survivor Abraham Sutzkever (1913-2010), with translations by CK Williams and Leonard Wolf.
Commissioned by Music of Remembrance, Seattle, WA in 2005.
The premiere recording, with baritone Erich Parce, cellist Amos Yang and pianist Mina Miller, was on Naxos’ For A Look or a Touch. To purchase, please click here.
Independent Opera Company’s marvelous film about The Seed of Dream is below.
Click here to view Music of Remembrance’s May 2017 performance with mezzo-soprano Catherine Cook.
Click here to view The Russian Chamber Art Society’s December 6, 2024 performance with Magdelena Wór, Igor Zubkovsky and Martin Labazevitch.
A new edition was just released in November 2024. If you have an older copy, please contact me for a complimentary updated score.
ERRATA
Song 2:
m. 1, Piano: the pedal release for the opening measures (and beyond) should be on beat 2, not beat 3.
m. 39 and 58, Voice: cosmetic change for the rest: it’s now 2 8th note rests instead of a quarter rest.
m. 64 and 74, Cello: cosmetic change for the rest: it’s now 2 8th note rests instead of a quarter rest.
m. 109, Piano: Pedal here for the full measure, returning to opening pedaling in m. 122.
Song 4:
m. 44, Cello: The rhythm on beat 2 should be 2 even 8th notes.
m. 72, Piano: I added Pedal ad lib.
Song 5:
m. 7-8, Piano: hold the pedal through these 2 measures.
m. 15, Mezzo-soprano (not necessary for baritone): The piano can add a G# above the A# to help the singer.
m. 38, Mezzo-soprano (not necessary for baritone): change downbeat chord to A3 – C#4 – E4 – F#4 – if the singer needs help
