THE NORTH WIND WAS A WOMAN DAVID BRUCE THE NORTH WIND WAS A WOMAN he three pieces on this disc part of the natural world, which means that DAVID BRUCE (b. 1970) represent David Bruce’s just by observing nature, rain, weather, you highly personal musical and are in a very real sense ‘with your loved Cymbeline spiritual responses to nature. one’; a fact which is immensely consoling. Avi Avital mandolin / Dover Quartet Cymbeline (an old Celtic Bruce has a close relationship with [1] I. Sunrise [1.11] word meaning ‘Lord of the Sun’) draws on many of the featured artists, he has [2] II. Noon [6.26] Tancient religious attitudes to the sun, and is collaborated with Avi Avital on 5 pieces, [3] III. Sunset [7.35] framed as a trinity of birth, life and death, most recently a commission from NDR as represented by sunrise, noon and sunset. in Germany. Avital has toured Cymbeline The North Wind was a Woman The North Wind was a Woman song (commissioned by San Diego Symphony) Nora Fischer soprano / The North Wind Ensemble cycle treats various aspects of nature around the world including a recent [4] I. The Snow is Completely Without Hope [4.25] as human characters, as if they were North American tour with Dover Quartet. [5] II. The North Wind is a Woman [3.43] manifestations of human emotions. So the Camerata Pacifica have also worked [6] III. The Night Wants You to Forget [5.05] North Wind for example, is a jilted lover frequently with Bruce and commissioned [7] IV. The Crescent Moon is a Dangerous Lunatic [3.10] who ‘rattles your windows, bangs at your The Consolation of Rain from him in [8] V. The Mountain Shares her Solitary Dreams [5.31] doors’. Scored for a folk-imbued ensemble, 2017. The North Wind was a Woman featuring prominent parts for mandolin and was commissioned by Chamber Music The Consolation of Rain harp, the cycle ranges from the wild rage of Society of Lincoln Center and features Camerata Pacifica the ‘lunatic moon’ to the sombre and tender many of the same players involved in the [9] I. [4.49] loneliness of the mountain contemplating 2009 premiere, including harpist Bridget [10] II. [3.17] her only friend throughout the years – the Kibbey (another close collaborator, who [11] III. [6.18] night sky. also features on the Camerata Pacifica [12] IV. [3.50] The Consolation of Rain is a moving recording). [13] V. [4.50] reflection on loss and the restorative power of nature. When a loved one passes away Total Timings [66.11] the atoms of their body literally become CYMBELINE THE NORTH WIND WAS A WOMAN ymbeline is a new work for son; and sunset is a time for contemplation have been lucky enough to spend John B Hedges and I was captivated as soon Mandolin and String Quartet, and reflection – the spirit. To me, these three some time recently collaborating with as I realized it was the Sea itself singing the written specially for mandolin states represent not just “father, son and the writer Aimee Bender. By chance opening lines - it was saying sorry to all the virtuoso Avi Avital. The title spirit” but also perhaps, the reflection upon I came across Aimee’s extraordinary ships it had to let sink because its shoulders is an old Celtic word meaning an action about to happen (sunrise), the action collection of short stories ‘Willful were too heavy and not meant for carrying ‘Lord of the Sun’. I think the idea of the itself (noon), and the reflection on the action Creatures’ and I instantly felt we shared many boats. I loved the idea of an ‘element’ singing, Cpiece being about the sun emerged out of the that happened (sunset). Iartistic goals and ideals. Aimee’s stories are and some time later the idea occurred to colours of the string quartet and the mandolin Cymbeline accordingly is in three often described as ‘modern fairytales’, they me that it could make for an interesting together. Although I don’t think of myself as movements, with two contemplative outer have something of the tone of a fairytale song-cycle to have a series of different a synaesthetic person I kept having a strong movements surrounding an energetic central (a generalised sense of place and time, a elements, each singing in the first person. I sense of the colour gold in the early sketches movement. I see the piece as a contemplation willingness to incorporate the magical or approached Alasdair Middleton (the librettist for the piece. The mandolin itself has always of our relationship with this firey giver of life, supernatural, and often, a rather savage for my opera A Bird in Your Ear) with this seemed to me to create a ‘golden’ sound, whose significance to us is often overlooked streak), but are unmistakably modern in idea. Alasdair latched on to the concept and when combined with the warmth of the in the modern world, but who still really does tone, and a million miles from the Victorian immediately - the first poem he produced was strings it seems now obvious that I should be rule over us all. sensibilities and morals of Hans Andersen or Wind who, marvellously, was in unrequited drawn towards something warm and golden. the Brothers Grimm. Aimee creates unique love; followed by a rather melancholy The sun was one of the first objects of and extraordinary worlds, full of color and and mysterious Night, and a crazed Moon worship and it has been surmised that the idea magic, tangential to our own, but somehow, in who ‘wants to kill’. I later added two of of a holy trinity (found not just in Christianity, an often witty and understated way, reflecting my own poems to the collection, a rather but in numerous earlier religions) relates back on our own world, returning us to it with bleak Snow that sees itself as ‘frozen tears’, to the three distinct positions of the sun – fresh eyes. It is an approach to art which I find and a Mountain that contemplates its only sunrise (= father), noon (= son), and sunset highly invigorating and inspiring. friendship over the years - with the night sky. (= spirit). Sunrise is ‘the father of the day’; Aimee showed me the libretto to an midday represents the fullness of energy, the opera she had written for the composer I. The Snow is Completely Without II. The North Wind is a Woman III. The Night Wants You to Forget Blood is hot Hope (text by David Bruce) (text by Alasdair Middleton) (text by Alasdair Middleton) I am not. Frozen tears are all I weep I still love you, Past the sunset’s flaming wreckage I am the moon. And where they fall nothing grows. Though you don’t love me anymore. Up to you I quietly creep; I want to kill I close my eyes and think of sleep, You used to, Forget about the smoke and trouble, And one night soon But tears of ice are all that flow. You once let me kiss you- Lean on me, my love, and sleep. I will. Pain in crystal Remember that time on the sea-shore? I will Piercing bright I still miss you. Now the starry Lion’s stalking Pain in endless white To the Virgin’s glittering breast V. The Mountain Shares her Solitary Just pain. Remember how we used to dance? Mother murmurs ‘Don’t remember.’ Dreams (text by David Bruce) I still love to dance, Lean on me, my love, and rest. My only friend through all the years With frigid hands I reach in vain, I still must, Looks down on me and holds my gaze, I cover you with my distress. Just, no-one will dance with me now; Planets, shrieking, see the future. Without purpose, without tears, I paint you white Just newspapers now; Stars are grieving o’er the past. Without judgement or praise. I paint you dead Just leaves, Constellations mourn the present. A blizzard of anguish around your Just dust. Lean on me and rest at last. Her giant eye reflects a million tones head; Of simple flutes and crystal I have no water with which to bless, I still love you. IV. The Crescent Moon is a Dangerous tambourines. Just my frozen tears of pain, I still want you to be mine, Lunatic (text by Alasdair Middleton) She reminds me, though I am alone, Just pain. That’s why I ravish your clothes on the I am the moon. That countless others share my dreams. washing-line. I am steel. I still love you. I’ve forgotten how to feel. And though her beauty makes me I rattle your windows. I am the moon. tremble and despair, I bang at your door. I want a knife. Her look contains the honesty of rain. I still love you. I want a knife She answers every question with her Though you don’t love me anymore. To take a life. infinite stare, I am the moon And In her darkness I feel small again. I want blood THE CONSOLATION OF RAIN Commissioned for Camerata Pacifica by Bob Klein & Lynne Cantlay. e all take consolation Taking Debussy’s method of portraying the sea from different things, in La Mer as something of a model, the piece and without wanting is primarily an abstract musical construction, to be overly morbid, but one that constantly and variously evokes I would like to think different aural images of rain, whether it that after I die, my loved ones could take be rippling, glistening, dripping, rumbling, Wconsolation from the sense that I was quite swooshing or showering; gathering pace or literally all around them, in the air, water and subsiding; distantly echoing or vigorously earth as part of the natural cycle of things.