Bonhoeffera CHORAL-THEATER PIECE Tions of Mine
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Who am I? They mock Who am I? They mock me, these lonely ques-me, these lonely ques- THOMAS LLOYD BonhoefferA CHORAL-THEATER PIECE tions of mine. Whoever DONALD NALLY, CONDUCTOR MALAVIKA GODBOLE, PERCUSSION | JOHN GRECIA, KEYBOARDS REBECCA HARRIS, VIOLIN | THOMAS MESA, CELLO WWW.ALBANYRECORDS.COM I am, thou knowest, O TROY1636 ALBANY RECORDS U.S. 915 BROADWAY, ALBANY, NY 12207 TEL: 518.436.8814 FAX: 518.436.0643 ALBANY RECORDS U.K. BOX 137, KENDAL, CUMBRIA LA8 0XD TEL: 01539 824008 © 2016 ALBANY RECORDS MADE IN THE USA God, I am thine. Jesus DDD WARNING: COPYRIGHT SUBSISTS IN ALL RECORDINGS ISSUED UNDER THIS LABEL. is the man for others. Only the suffering God THE MUSIC “I often wonder who I really am: the one always cringing in disgust, going to pieces at these hideous experiences here, can help.The Church or the one who whips himself into shape, who on the outside (and even to himself) appears calm, cheerful, serene, superior, and lets himself be applauded for this charade – or is it real?” must speak for those —Dietrich Bonhoeffer from letter to Eberhard Bethge, December 15, 1943 THE COMPOSER Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) was one of the most influential Christian theologians Thomas Lloyd’s compositions have been performed by The of the 20th Century. He abandoned what would have been a secure academic position Crossing, Lyric Fest, the Mendelssohn Club of Philadelphia, the at Union Theological Seminary in New York to return to Germany as an active leader Philadelphia Singers, the Bucks County Choral Society, and of the Confessing Church, which actively resisted the capitulation of the establishment numerous collegiate, community, and high school ensembles. Lutheran and Catholic churches to the fascist leadership of Adolf Hitler. Lloyd is a Professor of Music at Haverford College, where he has Bonhoeffer also became a double agent for the Abwehr military intelligence directed the combined choral program for Haverford and Bryn agency through family connections, and was ultimately involved in the unsuccessful Mawr Colleges since 1996. He has also served as Artistic Director “July 20 Plot” (also known as the “Stauffenberg Plot”) to assassinate Hitler. This of the Bucks County Choral Society since 2000. As Director of Music at the Philadelphia involvement led to his being imprisoned and subsequently hanged at Flossenbürg Episcopal Cathedral since 2010 he has developed an innovative approach to liturgical Concentration Camp a few weeks before the surrender of Germany. In the midst of singing involving close integration of professional singers with the congregation, including all this underground political and religious activity, he fell in love with Maria von a growing repertory of his own sacred compositions. A complete listing of his compositions, Wedemeyer, the granddaughter of an important supporter of the Confessing Church, articles, and collaborations can be found at www.thomaslloydmusic.com. and subsequently became engaged shortly before being arrested and interned in Tegel Prison for a period of 18 months leading up to his death. Bonhoeffer is conceived as a concert work in a theatrical context. The movements alternate between eight reflective meditations, several of which are based on Bonhoeffer’s poetry, and seven dramatic scenes highlighting emblematic incidents in the theologian’s who cannot speak. life. The casting of singers and instrumentalists is mostly symbolic rather than literal. Bonhoeffer himself is not represented by a particular singer, but by various combinations of solos, duets, trios, or the whole men’s contingent. They also represent Bonhoeffer’s One must completely community of underground seminarians. abandon any attempt to make something In contrast to the male-dominated culture in which Bonhoeffer primarily lived and THE TEXTS struggled, three female soloists represent the centrality of several important women in the adapted from the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer development of his spiritual life. They sing primarily the words of his fiancé Maria von and Maria von Wedemeyer Wedemeyer, but they also represent the probable feminine influence on his spiritual life of Bonhoeffer’s mother (his only connection to Christian tradition as a child), his twin sister BONHOEFFER Sabine (who married a Jewish lawyer), his grandmother Julie (who proudly defied the Nazi I. Meditation—I discovered later boycott of Jewish businesses), and his fiancé’s mother Ruth-Alice von Bismark (an important I discovered later, and I’m still discovering right up to this moment, that it is only by supporter of the Finkenwald seminary). living completely in this world that one learns to have faith. One must completely Music was a constant part of Bonhoeffer’s life and imagination. He was a highly abandon any attempt to make something of oneself, whether it be a saint, or a … skilled pianist who could have considered a career as a musician. Beginning in his youth, sinner, …. a righteous man or an unrighteous one, a sick man or a healthy one.… Bonhoeffer played piano trios with brothers and cousins, including late in his life with In so doing we throw ourselves completely into the arms of God, taking seriously, his brother Klaus and cousin Rüdiger Schleicher, both of whom were also martyred not our own sufferings, but those of God in the world—watching with Christ in co-conspirators by the end of the war. For this reason, the core accompanying ensemble in Gethsemane. That, I think, is …. metanoia;… —Letter to Bethge from Tegel—July 21, 1944 Bonhoeffer is a piano trio. The occasional sound of the organ represents the established church (day after failure of Stauffenberg plot (LPP p 369-70/486)). and its traditions, the drums the relentless pressures of the war, and the vibraphone the spiritual and domestic ideals that Bonhoeffer longed for but rarely experienced as an adult. musical reference: Franz Schubert, “Gute Ruh”(final lied of Die Schöne Müllerin—Bonhoeffer Bonhoeffer’s letters are filled with references to specific songs, hymns, and piano wrote a piano trio arrangement of this song as a teenager, and often performed piano trios with his repertoire. Bonhoeffer incorporates many of these individual works and composers through brother Klaus and cousin Rüdiger Schleicher among others) a combination direct quotation, variation, and formal modeling. In addition to being steeped in the music of Austro-German Baroque, Classical, and Romantic era composers, II. Scene—Flossenbürg Bonhoeffer was also deeply influenced by the Negro Spirituals he encountered in Harlem (final worship service before execution) during his first visit to America for post-graduate study at Union Seminary in 1930. [texts for the day used in an unplanned worship service at the prison, as reported in several biographies]: He found a direct correlation between the suffering of the Africans under slavery in Bonhoeffer leading the congregation in worship: the United States with the suffering of the Jews under Nazism in Germany. Bonhoeffer frequently played recordings of the spirituals as part of the daily rituals of the underground “He was wounded for our transgressions, seminary at Finkenwalde. He had brought these recordings back with him from Harlem he was crushed for our iniquities; during his year studying at Union Seminary in 1930. The central scene of this work (VIII. he bore the punishment that made us whole, Scene—Finkenwalde) incorporates short excerpts from recordings of Paul Robeson and Hall and by his stripes we are healed. [Isaiah 53:5] Johnson’s choir that could have been among Bonhoeffer’s collection. Bonhoeffer was first performed by The Crossing at Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral on March 10, 2013. —THOMAS LLOYD Nun ruhen alle Wälder, [Now rest all the woods, was impressed by his devotion. We often had long talks together at this time… Being still deeply Vieh, Menschen, Städt und Felder, Cattle, people, city, and field, affected by my father’s death, I needed his help. [EM 411 (Conspiracy and Imprisonment, 331)] Es schläft die ganze Welt; The whole world slumbers; Bonhoeffer: …..only from a heart that is tranquil, unconstrained and healed Ihr aber, meine Sinnen, But you, my senses, can something good and right emerge; ….. and I consequently pray—forgive me for Auf ,auf, ihr sollt beginnen, Up! Up! You shall begin putting it like this – that God will bring us together again soon, very soon. Can you Was eurem Schöpfer wohlgefällt. What your Creator has set before you.] understand that? Do you feel just as I do? I hope so—indeed, I can’t conceive of any other possibility... [Letters from Cell Block 92, 334-5] —Gerhardt; (Isaac/Bach) Maria: The innermost reality still stands, even though I don’t love him… I know that I will love him....Mother says he’s an idealist and hasn’t given it careful thought. I “Through God’s mercy we have been born anew to a living hope through the don’t believe that… [Letters from Cell Block 92, 337 - 12/19/42] resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” [1 Peter 1:3] Bonhoeffer: Don’t say anything about the “false picture” I may have of you. I don’t want a “picture,” I want you; just as I beg you with all my heart to want me, not Two prison guards: “Prisoner Bonhoeffer, get ready and come with us!” [EB 927] a picture of me. [Letters from Cell Block 92, [1/17/43] 340] [Drum motive and organ return] Maria: I can’t go on like this. I have to know—are you really in danger? What Through the half-open door in one room of the huts I saw Pastor Bonhoeffer, before am I doing? Forgive my weakness. I must call you. I must hear from your own lips what taking off his prison garb, kneeling on the floor praying fervently to his God. I was most is going on.