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The Little Match Girl Passion a CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE

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The Little Match Girl Passion a CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE DAVID LANG’S the little match girl passion A CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE JOHANN JACOB VAN NIEKERK Johann Jacob Van Niekerk Assistant Professor of Music Centre College [email protected] 8 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 56 Number 2 David Lang’s the little match girl chorus version in 2008, published passion is an unusual piece on many by Red Poppy Music and available levels. Lang (b. 1957) combines the for rent from G. Schirmer Inc. It is story of Christ’s crucifi xion—based most suitable for professional choirs on Bach’s treatment thereof in his and more experienced university and St. Matthew Passion (1727) —with the community groups. story of “The Little Match Girl,” a The passion genre is a genre that fairytale by Hans Christian Ander- extends back more than seven cen- sen that tells the harrowing tale of turies, and Lang reworks this format a little girl who freezes to death on into a vehicle that allows the audience a cold New Year’s Eve in Denmark. to not only witness the slow demise The music for the little match girl pas- of the innocent girl but more impor- sion is equally unusual. Lang’s use of tantly to feel as if they were somehow minimalist cells, expanded over fi fteen part of this injustice. It is this sense of movements, is unlike any other stan- complicity that has largely contrib- dard piece in the choral repertoire. uted to the work’s universal success. The composition, while tricky at fi rst Reactions have been astounding: on sight, eff ortlessly weaves these cells a critical level it has been lauded since into an approachable and relatable its premiere and was awarded the idiom for singers and audiences alike. Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2008; both Amateur, university, and professional critics and audiences have been af- choirs have performed the little match fected by its stark, relentless narrative girl passion all over the United States and otherworldly music. Reporting since its world premiere in 2007. It on these performances tend toward was originally written for four soloists, utter praise and astonishment at the but the composer created an SATB impact of such an ambitious work of art. Critics have lauded the piece for its originality, innovation, and “raw emotionality.”1 American choral composer Joshua Shank accurately states: “[W]hat is interesting to note is that, despite the somewhat robotic way in which Lang sets the text… the reception of this work is almost universally spoken about in viscerally emotional terms… [T]he work has obviously made a tremendous impact on its audience.”2 In music reviews, Jayson Green calls it “breathtakingly spare…icily gorgeous…a haunting and evocative hall of echoes”3; Molly CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 56 Number 2 9 DAVID LANG’S the little match girl passion Sheridan claims that “even reading just the poetry of the forms a metaphysical commentary on their role in the pro- libretto…is chilling”4; while Reed Johnson mentions the tagonist’s demise. The format of the passion furthermore work’s “sublime austerity.”5 Los Angeles Master Chorale encourages and facilitates retrospection and a call-to- Conductor Grant Gershon confi rms: “When I listen to action to learn from these events and apply it in daily life. the recording, it’s impossible to get through the piece Lang is not the fi rst composer to contextualize the pas- without weeping.”6 The emotional impact of the piece sion genre in this way. Recent projects have highlighted was largely responsible for its Pulitzer win, as confi rmed the adaptability of the passion genre, such as the comPAS- by juror Tim Page: “I don’t think I’ve ever been so moved SION project by Conspirare (2014), with passions by John by a new, and largely unheralded, composition as I was Muehleisen, Robert Kyr, and the Balliett brothers; and by David Lang’s the little match girl passion, which is unlike Helmuth Rilling’s Passion Project 2000 (2000), a commission any music I know.”7 that tasked Tan Dun, Sofi a Gubaidulina, Ernst Rihm, The composition is a welcome addition to the choral and Osvaldo Golijov to compose passions refl ecting on repertoire that is bound to move those who perform and currently relevant social issues. listen to its unique sound and grapple with its unusual Lang’s composition consists of recitative-like move- protagonist and narrative. With a vast array of recent ments that advance the plot and chorale-like movements and upcoming performances by ensembles such as the that engage audiences into the narrative while providing Latvian Radio Choir, Netherlands Chamber Choir, Vir- a moment to refl ect on its events. The combination of ginia Chorale, The Crossing, PSU Choirs, and Seattle these two kinds of movements tells the story “while si- Pro Musica, this increasingly popular piece may well multaneously commenting upon it.”10 It has the eff ect of become a standard in the choral canon for years to come. “placing us in the middle of the action, and it gives the This conductor's guide, designed to assist the conductor’s narrative a powerful inevitability.”11 Although Lang places preparation, investigates the little match girl passion’s textual the emphasis on the death of a fragile little girl instead of content, musical content, and contextualization of the the expected fi gure of Christ, the girl’s own experienced passion genre and includes suggestions by the composer suff ering and rejection resonates strongly with the mar- related to interpretation, rehearsal, and performance. tyred messianic fi gure of Christ. In an interview with the composer, he refl ected on his choice of the passion: “The reason the story works is because I was looking for some- Context thing that would allow me to be an observer of what the Lang’s work received its world premiere in 2007 at passion is traditionally, so I was looking for something that Carnegie Hall by the vocal quartet Theatre of Voices, would highlight what to me seemed to be the paradox of conducted by Paul Hillier. The National Chamber Choir the passion, which is that you are supposed to notice the of Ireland, again conducted by Hillier, premiered the suff ering of Jesus. But you know, we live in New York— choral version one year later. David Lang had won several people are suff ering all over the place—we live in a world awards previously, but in the words of The New Yorker, it where if we actually noticed everyone’s suff ering it would was “with his winning of the Pulitzer Prize …[that] Lang, be impossible to live.”12 once a post-minimalist enfant terrible…solidifi ed his stand- ing as an American master.”8 Lang was drawn to the passion genre because it allowed Analysis for interpolation from texts outside of the narrative. The As is to be expected, the main reason for the piece’s texts serve as “guideposts for our own responses to the emotional impact on audiences lies in the use of “The story,”9 elevating the audience from spectator to partici- Little Match Girl” narrative. Lang concurs: “My loyalty pant. The passion genre thus represents multiple layers lies completely with the text… and if I have a choice of performer, participant, and meaning. Traditionally, the between telling the story better and making a beautiful passion narrative, that of the inevitable death of Christ, sound, I’m always going to choose telling the story bet- places the audience in the middle of its development and ter.”13 It follows that closer inspection of the text could 10 CHORAL JOURNAL Volume 56 Number 2 A CONDUCTOR’S GUIDE elucidate some of the reasons for this reaction and the The chorale movements contrast the recitatives and are piece’s international popularity. Furthermore, Lang more lyrical in nature. The fi rst and last movements are features a secular, disenfranchised protagonist, instantly unifi ed through the use of the “Daughters of Zion” im- relating the work to a wide audience while referencing agery and the use of a similar musical motif. the concepts familiar to Christian audiences and those familiar with other works in the passion genre. The even- numbered movements feature Andersen’s prose, while Movement I free translations of Picander’s poetry are employed in the The fi rst movement of Lang’s passion setting is a play odd-numbered movements. on the very fi rst line of text in Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, The little match girl passion is scored for SATB chorus “Come ye daughters of Zion.” with soloists playing percussion instruments, including a brake drum, sleigh bells, crotales, glockenspiel, bass drum, Come, daughter and tubular bells. The piece is approximately thirty-fi ve Help me, daughter minutes long. Some choirs have opted to have an SATB Help me cry quartet sing the recitative-like movements, with the entire Look, daughter choir joining in on the chorale movements. Lang achieves Where, daughter coherency throughout the piece through the intentional What, daughter use of tonal centers and consistency in tempo (quarter Who, daughter note = 72), form (alternating recitative and chorale Why, daughter movements), and unifying musical motives and harmonic Guiltless daughter relations. Patient daughter Lang was adamant that he wanted to create a continu- Patient daughter ous piece from start to end. He was inspired by fellow Gone minimalist composer Arvo Pärt’s Passio, a continuous seventy-fi ve-minute passion setting: “Now THAT is a Whereas the Picander text asks the daughters of Zion courageous composer, one who says that I don’t want you to behold the central fi gure—Jesus, also called bridegroom dropping in; I don’t want you thinking which parts are or lamb—Lang’s adaptation omits those references.
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