Bubble: Rainbow (spirit level) (2003)
For soprano and ensemble consisting of flute, oboe, violin, cello, piano and percussionist (playing only vibraphone (motor off), 2 crotales (Eb and D), and 2 bongos)
Texts by Elizabeth Bishop and Emily Dickinson
Premiered by the Ensemble Sospeso, Rand Steiger, conductor, Lucy Shelton, soprano, on 9 January 2005
Duration 4 1/2 minutes
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Click to hear an excerpt from this work |
For Elliott Carter, on his 95th birthday, with affection and admiration.
Sonnet
Elizabeth Bishop
Caught — the bubble
in the spirit level,
a creature divided;
and the compass needle
wobbling and wavering,
undecided.
Freed — the broken
thermometer's mercury
running away;
and the rainbow-bird
from the narrow bevel
of the empty mirror,
flying wherever
it feels like, gay!
Delight is as the flight (poem #257)
Emily Dickinson
Delight is as the flight —
Or in the Ratio of it,
As the Schools would say —
The Rainbow's way —
A Skein
Flung colored, after Rain,
Would suit as bright,
Except that flight
Were Aliment —
"If it would last"
I asked the East,
When that Bent Stripe
Struck up my childish
Firmament —
And I, for glee,
Took Rainbows, as the common way,
And empty Skies
The Eccentricity —
And so with Lives —
And so with Butterflies —
Seen magic — through the fright
That they will cheat the sight —
And Dower latitudes far on —
Some sudden morn —
Our portion — in the fashion —
Done —
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