David Lang: The Writings

Featuring

Daniel Reuss
Cappella Amsterdam
David Lang

Did you know?

1/6

Compositional Technique

A fundamental tension in David Lang's music, particularly for voices, lies between process and beauty, starting with his selection and curation of texts.

Composition History

David Lang's "the writings" is a cycle of pieces based on five books from the Old Testament, which are associated with particular Jewish holidays.

Composer's Artistic Vision

David Lang, the composer, aimed to create his own emotional catalog by setting universal language from these Old Testament writings to music, focusing on the humanity at their core.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded at the Pieterskerk Utrecht, Netherlands, over three days in late November and early December 2020.

Notable Performances

The complete set of "the writings" and the movement "if I am silent" were co-commissioned by Carnegie Hall Corporation and Nederlands Kamerkoor, premiering on March 20, 2019, in New York.

Compositional Technique

The cycle "the writings" begins and ends with the movement "again (after ecclesiastes)", with instructions for performers to sing the second iteration differently, reflecting that a cycle may repeat but never exactly.