“To the Stars is based on an hymn probably composed circa 300 A. D. by a cult in Asia Minor devoted to Orphism, the ancient religion centered around the legend of Orpheus. In 2003, I had just completed a large-scale masque based on the Orpheus myth, and in winding down from the project, I came across a collection of Orphic hymns translated by the Classics scholar, Apostolos Athanassakis. The musical setting of To the Stars incorporates two features harkening back to past eras. First, a quick grace-note embellishment figure within the opening motif is a nod to the sound of Ancient Greek as it might have been spoken (based on my recollection of a play that attempted the spoken language’s revival). Secondly, the polyphonic lines pay homage to a style of choral writing traditionally associated with earlier formative periods of Western music." LK
To the Stars may be performed with a companion piece, To the Sun (for soprano and piano). This six-voice version of To the Stars was created for the vocal ensemble, Ekmeles.
First performance:
Ekemeles
Roulette, Brooklyn NY, January 24, 2013
With Se-Hee Jin, Alex Tatarinov, and singers from the Eastman School of Music's Opera Department after performance of To The Stars at Spectrum, NYC. L. to R.: Nate McEwen, Natalie Buickians, Keely Futterer, Alan Cline, Karchin, Fred Diengott, Se-Hee Jin, Sarah Bertrand, and Alex Tatarinov
Performance of To The Stars at Spectrum, NYC, Oct. 16, 2015
