Darīqā Javānī – Alas for Youth (2015) – SATB a cappella (4′)
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-This text, from one of Iran’s most famous and influential poets, Ferdowsi, is a reflection on his study as a poet together with the loss of his youth. The poem was written when Ferdowsi was 62, and was in the middle of his long labor on the Shahnahmeh, a large Persian epic poem that took him 33 years to complete. While working on this enormous piece, it is clear through this text that Ferdowsi longed for the days of his carefree youth. In this setting, there is an exploration of the connection between text and texture. Vowels blend together lazily like foggy recollections of the past, while clear and distinct recitation of the text exists in the same space. Mazy moments of text-dense areas, barely intelligible, blossom into nostalgic textures of melody and accompaniment. There is a constant shift between calm reflection, and the bitter ramblings of one who is desperately reaching at a time long past. Appropriate for collegiate ensembles and beyond.