© 2012 by Universal Music Corp. (ASCAP) International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. RNY 1098
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instrumentation
piccolo
oboe
clarinet in Bb bassoon
horn in F trumpet trombone
tuba piano vibraphone
2 violins viola cello bass
the score is in C
the duration should be just over 4 minutes
my international was commissioned by Steve Rubin and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and was premiered 21 January 2012 by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), conducted by Steve Schick
program note
CopyrightbyRicordiNewYork
'The Internationale' is the theme song of the Communist Party, and was the national anthem of the Soviet Union. It is a setting to music of a poem by a French activist, Eugene Pottier, who wrote it to commemorate the crushing of the Paris Commune in 1871. It is very stirring and emotional and a lot of it is timely, since the oppression of workers seems never to go out of fashion, I am sorry to say. There is much of it that feels out of date to me, however, and much that I don't really agree with. I decided to set my own version of it to music, rewriting the lyrics that seem most meaningful to me, and writing entirely new music for them. In my international the musicians sing the melody together, gradually adding their instruments to the mix. When their parts become too complicated they may have to stop singing, and the anthem may disappear – I hope not but that is just the way it is.
my international is dedicated to my son Ike, who is not a Communist.
my international music by david lang words by david lang, after eugene pottier
wake up, you damned of the earth wake up, you prisoners of hunger wake up, you are enslaved wake up, and look around you if you wake up if you wake up you will be free your gods - they won t help you your leaders - they won t help you you have to save yourself, yourself you have to pull yourself, yourself out from your prison you have to forge yourself, yourself into your sword you have to strike yourself, yourself while you are hot if you wake up, if you wake up if you wake up you will be free, you will be free
this is the final struggle let us wake up let us awaken let us wake up to be free
the state moves forward while you sleep the law moves forward while you sleep the earth is turning while you sleep if you wake up you can see it turn if you wake up if you wake up you will be free
CopyrightbyRicordiNewYork
this is the final struggle let us wake up let us awaken let us wake up and be free
all
dreamy
international dedicated to ike lang
words by david lang, after eugene pottier music by david lang
