This recording includes world premiere recordings of "Vita Brevis" (version for soprano and piano trio), "Characteristics," and "Useful Knowledge: A Franklin Fantasy."
Instruments
Benjamin Franklin, the subject of "Useful Knowledge," invented the glass harmonica, which is featured in this cantata and was also composed for by Mozart.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The works on this album are described as musical portraits, with "Vita Brevis" depicting an imaginary life, "Characteristics" capturing aspects of musician friends, and "Useful Knowledge" exploring Benjamin Franklin's spiritual life.
Composer Biography
Paul Moravec, the composer, received the 2004 Pulitzer Prize in Music and has composed over one hundred works across various genres.
Composition History
"Useful Knowledge" is dedicated to the memory of composer Paul Moravec's father, Vince Moravec, who asked him to compose a piece reminding people of the Enlightenment and the nation's Founders.
Composition History
"Useful Knowledge: A Franklin Fantasy" was commissioned by the American Philosophical Society (APS) for Benjamin Franklin's tercentenary year.
Composition History
The original version of "Vita Brevis," a song cycle for tenor and piano, was commissioned by Paul Sperry, who premiered and recorded it in 2002.
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