related works
Seismograms : for percussion, 1967, (second version 1979) / Joep Straesser
Genre:
Chamber music
Subgenre:
Percussion
Scoring:
2perc(pf)
Symphony of Dialogue : for soprano, tenor, baritone and orchestra / Evrim Demirel
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12) and orchestra
Scoring:
3331 4331 timp 3 perc hrp pno sopr ten bar str
Londonsong : for soprano, baritone and orchestra, 1997 / on English traditional rhymes, Ron Ford
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12) and orchestra
Scoring:
sopr bar 2222 2110 perc hp pf str
Joseph : oratorio, 1745 / ed. by Robert L. Tusler, Willem de Fesch
Genre:
Vocal music
Subgenre:
Vocal ensemble (2-12) and orchestra; Mixed choir and orchestra
Scoring:
soloists GK4 2220 0200 str bc
composition
Musique pour l'homme : pour ensemble vocal et orchestre / Joep Straesser
Other authors:
Straesser, Joep
(Composer)
Contains:
Quartet I-Aria I-Quartet II
Duet I-Intermezzo I-Terzet-Intermezzo II-Duet II-Intermezzo III
Quartet III-Aria II-Quartet IV
Description:
Program note (English): There are 3 movements: in the first and third movement, attempts are made for a continuity of musical flow as large as possible. The various sections flow into one another and together they form a musical whole. In the second movement, as a contrast to the other two, an effort was made to achieve the maximum degree of non-continuity. The musical flow is, even within the various sections, constantly interrupted by pauses. The three Intermezzi, in which the voices are used instrumentally, are again interruptions between the various sections. It was not the composer's intention to "depict" the text. In the first place, the words are being used as sound material and are often split into syllables and so divided over the various voices. In both arias, the words are often split into very prolonged syllables (mostly vowels). Therefore, the text will not be very audible in the major part of the work. At certain moments however, typical key-words such as: "l'homme, femme, droit,
liberté" , or key-sentences such as: "tout individu a droit à la vie or nul ne sera soumis à la torture, ni à des peines ou traitements cruels" can be clearly understood. Perhaps one could make a comparison between this technique of composition and the endless stream of words by which our human existence is characterized and in which merely now and then a word can be heard that is worth listening to. - JOEP STRAESSER