Canto I

For Soprano and Piano
Duration: 3.5 minutes

2007

Commissioned for the Society for New Music

From The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri, Translation by H.R. Huse

  To move over better waters now hoists sail
  the little vessel of my mind
  which leaves behind so rough a sea;
and I will sing of the second realm
  where the human spirit is cleansed
  and becomes worthy to rise.
Here, O holy Muses, since I am yours,
  let dead poetry be revived
  and let Calliope arise,
accompanying my song with the music
  which struck the ears of the wretched magpies
  so that they despaired of pardon.

Program Note:

This work was commissioned by Neva Pilgrim and the Syracuse Society for New Music as part of their 2007 rising stars program. The text is derived from Dante’s The Divine Comedy and immediately struck me for its dramatism. Originally I wanted to set a single canto but kept finding more that was interesting within the pages, because of this, this piece will become part of a larger work exploring the journey of Dante from his journey out of the forest.

Recording:

Score

Performance History:

- Indiana University masters recital

- Premiere at Cazenovia Counterpoint