Anyone who was watching the recent inauguration of the Big O may remember hearing "Air and Simple Gifts," performed by the quartet of Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman, Gabriela Montero, and Anthony McGill. The piece was composed and arranged by John Williams and features the Shaker song "Simple Gifts" composed by Joseph Brackett. Williams chose this theme, because it was used by Aaron Copland, one of the Big O's favorite classical composers.
The first minute and a half consists of the "Air" segment, a steady and sombre tune with the violin taking the lead, weaving a cautious yet lilting theme. Then, the first hints of "Simple Gifts" are heard, and the overall pace starts to change as more and more variations of the Shaker song are added. This builds into a fuller statement of Brackett's theme around the two minute mark. The theme is first played by violin and cello and then piano next, before the violin and cello pick up the theme again, this time more fragmented. The "Air" theme is reprised briefly before its eerie finale.
The first time I had heard it, I wasn't sure what to make of the song. It was certainly in tone with Williams' more modern works, but it wasn't quite what I was expecting for an inauguration, especially its almost melancholy opening. Luckily, thanks to the Internet, it took me roughly five minutes to find it somewhere to download the song, so I didn't have to go to youTube every time I wanted to hear it. (To be honest, I'd have bought it on iTunes if it was available.) Upon multiple listenings, I could really appreciate Williams' complexity and use of "Simple Gifts," and more importantly, what he could accomplish with just a quartet. Mind you, a quartet of four extremely talented performers.
The song is of hestiant hope, which is appropriate, considering the times we live in.
2 comments:
so where can I download it? It is an impressive combination of people. I would like to listen to it several times to see what I make of it too . . . I liked the inclusion of "Simple gifts" which is a homage to our simple gifts of freedom and also our pilgrim roots.
Now students know who Yo Yo Ma is on my read poster! :-)
Can you call the president "Big O" ?
I was going to call him Our Great Savior That Will Dissolve Economic Hardships And Bring Everlasting Peace, but it took too long to write over and over.
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