Choral Music

it is at moments after i have dreamed (2007)

River of Stars (Amanogawa) (1999)


it is at moments after i have dreamed (2007) [SSAATTBB Choir on a text by
e.e. cummings] 6
Reuested and !remiered by the Los Angeles Chamber Singers, Peter utenberg,
!irector, "ount St. "arys College, Bel Air, Cali#ornia, $une %, &''(.
"The most memorable performances were of Ian Krouse's it is as moments I have
dreamed, on text by e. e. cummins! Krouse's wor", only his second for chorus, is
varied, surprisin, enain, and oreous, and it here received the "ind of premiere that
most composers only dream about.
)ic* Strim+le, A",-CA) C./AL ,0-,1, 2all &''( o# the LA Chamber Singers
con3ucte3 by Peter utenberg at the annual Chorus American concert in LA
"u#lished #$ -an 4rouse "usic
Score a5ailable #rom the com+oser. P./ Box %%(, &6('7 0ano8en Street, 1est .ills, CA
9%6'(
Score :6.''
"rogram notes and !erformance histor$%
it is at moments after i have dreamed 8as 8ritten #or Peter utenbergs su+erb Los
Angeles Chamber Singers. The text is the tenth o# a collection o# +oems by e.e. cummings
calle3 ;Sonnets<=nrealities.> The text 8as brought to my attention by a gra3uate stu3ent
at =CLA 8ho thought it might ins+ire me. $ust about that time - 8as hunting #or a suitable
text #or Peter utenberg, 8ho ha3 as*e3 me to com+ose a ne8 +iece #or the Los Angeles
Chamber Singers. - 8as 3ra8n instantly to this hauntingly beauti#ul +oem an3, once
ha5ing starte3, #inishe3 the +iece 8ithin a matter o# 3ays. - 8as struc* by the star* reality
that great +oems such as this ne5er nee3 music? rather, it is 8e, the com+osers, 8ho nee3
the +oem to gi5e 5oice to musical soun3s an3 ex+ressions that 8oul3 not other8ise see the
light o# 3ay. That sai3 the com+oser may @an3 - 3i3AB in3ulge the text in 8ays that cannot
other8ise be accom+lishe3. The so+ranos begin by singing, literally, ;it is at moments
a#ter - ha5e 3reame3 < it is at moments, moments, moments, o# the rare entertainment o#
your eyes.> The structural Cbubble create3 by #ragmenting an3 re+eating in3i5i3ual 8or3s
< or not < enables the com+oser to control the metabolism o# the text? at times lingering at
times racing. - +articularly enDoy this as+ect o# text setting, an3 ho+e that it creates a
some8hat s+ontaneous, im+ro5isatory im+ression.
it is at moments after i have dreamed
of the rare entertainment of your eyes,
when#bein fool to fancy$i have deemed
with your peculiar mouth my heart made wise%
at moments when the lassy dar"ness holds
the enuine apparition of your smile
#it was throuh tears always$and silence moulds
such straneness as was mine a little while%
moments when my once more illustrious arms
are filled with fascination, when my breast
wears the intolerant brihtness of your charms&
one pierced moment whiter than the rest
'turnin from the tremendous lie of sleep
i watch the roses of the day row deep.
by e.e.cummins


River of Stars (Amanogawa) (1999) ["otet #or SATB Chamber Choir on texts by
A*i*o Eosano, .ayashi Amari, "ei*o "atsu3aira, "arichi*o, an3 others] FPermission has
been sought. [ %7]
Reuested and !remiered by the Los Angeles Chamber Singers, Peter utenberg,
!irector, Gi++er Au3itorium, Colburn School, Los Angeles, Cali#ornia, A+ril %, &'''.
Score a5ailable #rom the com+oser. P./. Box %%(, &6('7 0ano8en Street, 1est .ills, CA
9%6'(
Score :H.''
"rogram notes and !erformance histor$%
(iver of )tars is a literal translation o# the $a+anese 8or3 Iamanoga8aI, commonly *no8n
in the ,nglishJs+ea*ing 8orl3 as the "il*y 1ay. -t 8as 8ritten at the reKuest o# Peter
utenberg #or the Los Angeles Chamber Singers, an3 subseKuently +remiere3 by them at
the Colburn School in Los Angeles, A+ril %, &'''. - ha5e al8ays 8ishe3 to 8rite a +olyJ
textual motet in the manner o# the %6th century 2rench com+osers, an3 the Duxta+osition o#
this archaic ,uro+ean style 8ith contem+orary texts by $a+anese 8omen +ro5e3 too
3elicious #or me to +ass u+. Though - *ne8 going in that it might be har3 to +ull o##, -
3eci3e3 - ha3 to try, an3 the o++ortunity to 8rite #or Peters crac* chamber choir seeme3 to
+ro5i3e the +er#ect o++ortunity.
"ost o# the texts 8ere 8ritten by the celebrate3 %9th century $a+anese +oet A*i*o Eosano,
one o# the #irst 8omen in $a+an to 8rite in an ex+licitly erotic manner. "ost o# the rest o#
the texts 8ere 8ritten by 8omen o# our time, all highly in#luence3 by A*i*os +ioneering
exam+le. "ost o# the +oems ta*e the #orm o# the tan*a, short +oems a*in to hai*u, 8hich
are arrange3 in lines 8ith the syllable +atternL 7 < ( < 7 < ( < 7. )ormally the +oems
sub3i5i3e into t8o +arts, the #irst three lines #orming the #irst, the last t8o, the secon3. -
arrange3 the +oems into t8o grou+s, the Mtenor Mgrou+, an3 the MmotetusM grou+. The
+oems o# the tenor grou+ are sim+le in style an3 ethereal in tone, centering on images o#
the moon, tem+le bells, heartbeats, an3 *otoJstri*es. The motetus texts are arrange3 in
three +arts in a semiJnarrati5e #ashion, an3 are inten3e3 to 3e+ict the symbolic +assing o#
time. The texts o# +art one are #ull o# )arcissistic a3oration an3 antici+ation #or a night o#
lo5e. Those o# Part T8o ex+ress +assion an3 ecstasy, 8hile the texts o# Part Three are
gi5en to re#lection an3 melancholy. The 8or* en3s 8ith a re+rise o# music hear3 at the en3
o# Part /ne. Though the actual score is structurally more intricate than this brie#
ex+lanation re5eals, - lea5e that to the listener to 3isco5er. The 8or* is 3e3icate3 to Mmy
belo5e3 8i#e Chi*a.M
*art +ne
Tenor&
the moon is
full
tsu"i wa
saerushi
the niht is very
still
yo wa shin
shin to
my heart
beats
"o"oro
bososa yo
li"e a
bell
"ane no "oe
Trans. ,y Kenneth (exroth
-nonymous
.uplum&
immersed in my
hot
yuami sura
bath, li"e a lovely
lily
i/umi no so"o
no
rowin in a
sprin
sayuri'bana
my twenty'year'old body
0
hatachi no
natsu o
so beautiful, so
sublime
utsu"ushi to
minu
Trans. ,y )am 1amill and Kei"o 2osano
-"i"o
3atsui 4ibson
Triplum&
ently, I open
the
chibusa osae
door to
eternal
shinpi no
tobari
mystery, the
flowers
soto "erinu
of my breasts, "o"onaru
cupped hana no
offered with both my
hands
"urenai /o
"o"i
Trans. ,y )am 1amill and Kei"o 2osano
-"i"o
3atsui 4ibson
5uadruplum
&
tell
them
hanshin ni
she is en6oyin the
view
usu"urenai no
of the
moon
usumono no
a pin" ossamer
robe
"oromo
matoite
barely coverin her
body
tsu"i miru to
ie
Trans. by 3a"oto 7eda 2osano
-"i"o
(efrain
Tenor&
amidst the
notes
"oto no ne ni
of my "oto is
another
"yosho no oto
no
deep mysterious
tone,
uchi ma6iru
a sound that comes
from
"ono ayashisa
mo
within my own
breast
mune no
hibi"i /o
Trans. ,y Kenneth (exroth 2osano
-"i"o
.uplum&
I finer
the
erimoto no
lace on my
collar
resu o i6iru
until niht, when
you
hanabira o
turn over my
petals
anata a
me"utte
"ureru yoru
made
Translated by 8e/a 8owit/, 3iyu"i 1ayashi
-mari
-oyama, and -"emi Tomio"a
*art Two
in briht sprin
sunshine
haru no hi o
adorin lovers
recline
"oi ni taru
yoru
aainst a white
wall
shira'"aba /o
a lonely straner
watches
u"i wa tabi no
"o
dus" enters the
wisteria
fu6i
tasoaruru
Trans. ,y )am 1amill and Kei"o 2osano -"i"o 3atsui 4ibson
Tenor&
I saw a youn
irl
ora"ani
na"ed "uro"ise mi
sete
steerin a
boat
isanayu"u
across an open
sea
"ami ho no mi
no
it was only the
moon
a"atsu"i
tsu"iyo
of a summer niht
Trans. ,y 4lenn 1uhes and 2osano
-"i"o
2o/an T. Iwasa"i
.uplum&
I hold your head
tiht
anata no
atama wo
watashi no
between my thihs and
press
mata ni
shi""ari
hasami
aainst your mouth
and
anata no
"uchi ni
watashio
tsuyo"u
float away forever
in
oshishitsu"er
u to, watashi
wa
an orchid
boat
ran no hana
no fune ni
notte
on the river of
heaven
to"oshie ni
teno"u no
"awa wo
tadayotte
yu"u
Trans. ,y Kenneth (exroth 3arichi"o
Triplum&
the peony in her
hair
"asashitaru
flared up, settin the ocean on
fire
botan hi to
nari umi
moenu
the dream of a
woman
omoi
midaruru
whose thouhts are in a
fren/y
hito no "o no
yume
Trans. ,y 3a"oto 7eda 2osano
-"i"o
5uadruplum
&
warm
wine
"uchi
utsusareshi
from his
mouth
nuru"i wain
a
to
mine
hita hita to
lappin aainst
me
ware wo
"umana"u
radiatin throuh
me
ha""oh
saseru
Trans. by 8e/a 8owit/, 3iyu"i
3atsudaira 3ei"o
-oyama, and -"emi Tomio"a
*art Three
feelin
that
nanitona"u
you were waitin for
me,
"imi ni
mataruru
I went out into the flowerin
fields
"o"ochi shite
and found
'
ideshi hana
no no
the new
moon
yu/u"uyo
"ana
Trans. ,y )am 1amill and Kei"o 2osano
-"i"o
3atsui 4ibson
the river of
stars
amanoawa
beins to part
hih
soine no to"o
no
in the 3il"y 9ay
while
tobari'oshi
ni
throuh the curtains of our
bed
hoshi no
wa"are o
I lied awa"e and
watched
su"ashi miru
"ana
Trans. ,y )am 1amill and Kei"o 2osano
-"i"o
3atsui 4ibson
(efrain
Tenor&
the moon is
full
tsu"i wa
saerushi
the niht is very
still
yo wa shin
shin to
my heart
beats
"o"oro
bososa yo
li"e a
bell
"ane no "oe
Trans. ,y Kenneth (exroth
-nonymous
.uplum&
amidst the
notes
"oto no ne ni
of my "oto is
another
"yosho no oto
no
deep mysterious
tone,
uchi ma6iru
a sound that comes
from
"ono ayashisa
mo
within my own
breast
mune no
hibi"i /o
Trans. ,y Kenneth (exroth 2osano
-"i"o

S+ecial than*s to Toshie "arra, librarian in the ,ast Asian Library at =CLA, #or hel+ing to
locate the original $a+anese texts #or se5eral o# the +oems, an3 to Chi*a 4a8ahara, an3
"a*i Tauchi, #or their in5aluable hel+ in translating an3 locating se5eral o# the +oems.