Aldina (1999, 5')

A duo for vibraphone and soprano voice on a text in English by Christina Rossetti. A very moving piece, lyrical and intimate in character, with rather tonal vocal lines and a more chromatic vibraphone accompaniment. Medium level of difficulty. Commissioned and premiered by Federico Poli, Italy 2000.

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Aldina

Click on link below to see video on YouTube

Aldina_video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PROGRAM NOTES

Aldina, for Soprano and Vibraphone, was composed in memory of my mother Alda Melchiori. The text used is "Song", a 1848 poem by Christina Rossetti. The poem describes the parting from life and evokes, in a lyrical and moving style, some scenes from the natural world, which was very dear to my mother. The title was inspired by an old photo of my mother as a very young child, found by chance in one of her drawers. On the back of the photo someone wrote in pencil "Aldina" (Little Alda). Generally we are not used to think of our parents as children; therefore I found this image of my mother as a baby particularly moving. The piece was commissioned by the percussionist Federico Maria Poli, to whom it is also dedicated.

 

PROGRAMMA DI SALA

Aldina, per voce di Soprano e Vibrafono, e' stato composto in memoria di mia madre, Alda Melchiori. Il testo usato e' "Song", una poesia di Christina Rossetti del 1848, in cui, in un tono lirico e pacato e con toccante semplicita', viene cantato l'addio alla vita, evocando alcune immagini della natura che erano anche molto care a mia madre. Il titolo e' stato ispirato da una vecchia foto di lei bambina, trovata per caso in un suo cassetto, sul retro della quale qualcuno ha scritto a matita "Aldina". Il brano e' stato commissionato dal percussionista Federico Maria Poli, a cui e' anche dedicato.

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SONG

When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply I may forget.