"Afterlife" [Mason Bates]

"Afterlife" [Mason Bates]

First line of lyrics: The curtains were half drawn, the floor was swept

Bates, Mason; music (American, born 1977)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

2012 [composition] [copyright]; 2013 [publication]; 2015 [copyright]

New York: Aphra Music

genre: art song (lied)|song|song cycle

solo: mezzo-soprano

instrumentation: orchestra|electronic drumpad

origin: United States

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "After Death"

Place in the larger work: The sixth song of seven in the song cycle called “Afterlife” which is divided into three movements. They include: I. "From Those Left Behind": "A Shade upon the mind there passes" (Emily Dickinson) (p. 1), "Loves One," "Too Many Poems About Dead Friends," "Eva Died" (Judith Wolf) (p. 17), "'Tis not the Dying hurts us so" (Emily Dickinson) (p. 32); II. "Bittersweet": "It's easy to invent a Life" (Emily Dickinson) (p.40), "Don't Let Them Throw Away the Clothes" (Judith Wolf) (p. 50); III. "From Those Departed": "After Death" (Christina Rossetti) (p. 61), "I heard a Fly buzz—when I died" (Emily Dickinson) (p. 101).

Composition history: "commissioned by Judith G and Edwin H. Wolf | for the Phoenix Symphony"

Performance instructions: "For mezzo, orchestra & electronica" 2 flutes (2nd = piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 Bflat clarinets (2nd = base clarinet), 2 bassoons (2nd = contrabassoon), 4 horns in F, 3 C trumpets, 1 tenor trombone, 1 bass trombone, laptop (see performance notes), percussions (3 players), harp, piano/celesta, strings. Performance Notes: "The piece requires simply two stereo speakers, placed on the left and right sides of the stage, a few onstage monitors, and any kind of laptop. A monitor placed near the conductor, as well as a few additional monitors placed within the orchestra, will help the performers stay in precise tempo with the electronic part . . . An assistant conductor or percussionist triggers the sounds on an electronic drumpad . . . following the instructions in the electronic part in the score . . . Because the electronic part is primarily ambient . . . a click track is not needed. A live, more performative version of the electronic part can be realized when the composer is present."

Notes: "Score in C"

Format 1: musical score

complete cycle performance time ca. 25 minutes

Other data reference(s): "Afterlife." J. W. Pepper, https://www.jwpepper.com/Afterlife/10558477.item. Accessed 23 Jul. 2021.

Cataloguer: Roxanne Lafleur, University of Ottawa

Musical score (front matter): New York Public Library

Record: CRM-afterdeath-bates

File(s): CRM-afterdeath-bates-frontmatter.pdf

"© 2012 Aphra Music"

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