The "Elegy to the Spanish Republic" is inspired by the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), a conflict that caused over half a million deaths and led to Francisco Franco's 36-year dictatorship.
Performer Biography
The 21st Century Consort, founded in 1975, became the resident ensemble for contemporary music at the Smithsonian Institution's Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in 1978.
Composition History
Eugene O'Brien's "Algebra of Night" was commissioned by Indiana University and the Jacobs School of Music to celebrate the School's centenary.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Eugene O'Brien's "Elegy to the Spanish Republic" is a musical addition to Robert Motherwell's monumental series of over 200 paintings with the same title, serving as a warning and sentinel.
Performer Biography
Mezzo-soprano Deanne Meek has sung in many of the world's great opera houses, including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro alla Scala (Milan), and the English National Opera (London).
Cultural Impact
The Spanish Civil War has become a universal metaphor for human suffering and injustice in the eight decades since it ended.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The title "Algebra of Night" comes from a poem by Willis Barnstone and suggests a poetry beyond logic, implying the reassembling and restoration of broken parts.
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