Joep Franssens Harmony of the Spheres
for mixed choir (a cappella)
(with additional organ in movement III)
complete cycle
Fijnjekade 160, 2521 DS The Hague, The Netherlands www.deussmusic.com
preview
Joep Franssens Harmony of the Spheres
for mixed choir (a cappella) (with additional organ in movement III)
complete cycle 1998-2001 (arr. 2026)
Fijnjekade 160, 2521 DS The Hague, The Netherlands www.deussmusic.com
Original version commissioned by the Eduard van Beinum Stichting and the Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst with a contribution from the Fonds voor de Scheppende Toonkunst
The cycle Harmony of the Spheres is dedicated to Tõnu Kaljuste and the Netherlands Chamber Choir
W orld premiere of Movement I: Koor Nieuwe Muziek conducted by Huub Kerstens, June 22nd 1996, at De Posthoornkerk, Amsterdam
W orld premiere of the complete cycle: Netherlands Chamber Choir accompanied by strings (movement III) conducted by Tõnu Kaljuste, November 14th 2002 at De Doelen, Rotterdam
Creation period:
Movement I: 1994
Movement II: 1996-2000
Movement III: 1998-2001
Movement IV: 1998-2001
Movement V: 1995
Movement III for choir and organ: 2026
Movements may be performed separately
Duration: ca. 67 min.
Copyright © 2009 by Joep Franssens and Deuss Music managed by Albersen Verhuur b.v.
Printed in The Netherlands
All rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by any electronic or mechanical means (including photocopying, recording or information storage and retrieval) without permission in writing from the publisher: Deuss Music managed by Albersen verhuur b.v., Fijnjekade 160, 2521 DS, The Hague, The Netherlands
www.joepfranssens.com www.deussmusic.com
Scoring:
Preferably 32 singers (at least 24)
Movement I, V: SSAATTBB
Movement III: SSSSAAAATTBB, strings: preferably 24 players (at least 16: 64321)
Movement II, IV: SATB
Performance notes:
Harmony of the Spheres requires a large resonance and is preferably to be performed in a church, or hall of equal acoustic qualities (an echo of four or more seconds).
The complete cycle also requires an intermission of at least 8-10 minutes between movement III and IV, because of the high technical demands for the singers, and from an artistic point of view as well.
Changes in dynamics should be handled as gradually as possible.
Concerning all movements: textual phrasing does not necessarily coincide with musical phrasing. Music and text move independently from each other. It is the meaning of the text that relates to the music rather than the words themselves.
Movements I and V consist of long melodic phrases. Slurs indicating the melodic phrases have not been notated into the score due to their great lengths. Instead, a comma is written at the end of the phrase.
Because tempo (q = 48-50) in movement I, III ( slow part) and V is nor slow, nor moderate, the conductor takes special care, that this ‘no man’s land’ tempo is maintained throughout the piece.
Movements I, III (slow part) and V have been conceived as a continuum, with only little relation to up- or downbeats. For this reason, the part of singer 1 is written in eights notes, while the part of singer 2 is written in triplet eights notes, resulting in the pulse to be blurred. This notation has not been applied from a rhythmical point of view, since rhythm is foreign to the music.
Concerning breathing: singers apply choral breathing when necessary.
In order to give a constant flow of intense and full sound, singers and string players apply normal vibrato.
Duration:
Movement I: c. 10’45’’
Movement II: c. 7’30”
Movement III: c. 26’30”
INTERMISSION
Movement IV: c. 6’30’’
Movement V: c. 14’15”
Total duration: c. 65’30”
HIRE MATERIAL
Concert performances are only allowed with prior written permission from the Publisher and by ordering the sheet music in rental.
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con anima
con anima
*) The pedal plays colla parte with the basses. Play this line only if the basses need this support. In case of the long held notes by singers/organ are covering up the sixteenth notes of the organ, it is advisible to decrease the number of singers. These remarks affect only bars 199-301
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& & V ? & ? ?
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