soprano, bass, and chamber orchestra (flute/alto flute, oboe/English horn, clarinet, bass clarinet, horn, trombone, harp, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, contrabass)
[Swedish text: Tomas Tranströmer]

Listen:

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Recording: Companion Star ensemble (Engsö Castle, Västmanland, Sweden, June 15, 2007)

Duration: ca. 9′
Composed: 2006
Click here to see sample score pages of Romanska Bågar.

Romanska Bågar, from my chamber opera drömseminarium, stands alone as a concert piece. It was first premiered at New York’s Tenri Institute in May 2006, and has since been performed in December 2006, January 2007, June 2007, June 2008, June 2009, and January 2010. This recording is from Companion Star’s June 2007 work-in-progress performance, which closed the music and poetry festival at Engsö Castle (near Västerås, Sweden) on June 15, 2007. Romanska Bågar is the first music that was completed for drömseminarium, and is the result the organic and multi-disciplinary process that we, as Companion Star, have developed.

Romanska Bågar
Inne i den väldiga romanska kyrkan trängdes turisterna i halvmörkret.
Valv gapande bakom valv och ingen överblick.
Några ljuslågor fladdrade.
En ångel utan ansikte omfamnade mig
och viskade genom hela kroppen:
“Skäms inte för att du är människa, var stolt!
Inne i dig öppnar sig valv bakom valv oändligt.
Du blir aldrig färdig, och det är som det skall.”
Jar var blind av tårar
och fostes ut på den solsjudande piazzan
tillsammans med Mr och Mrs Jones, Herr Tanaka och Signora Sabatini
och inne i dem alla öppnade sig valv bakom valv oändligt.

—Tomas Tranströmer, För levande och döda

Romanesque Arches
(trans. Robin Fulton)

Inside the huge romanesque church the tourists jostled in the half darkness.
Vault gaped behind vault, no complete view.
A few candle-flames flickered.
An angel with no face embraced me
and whispered through my whole body:
“Don’t be ashamed of being human, be proud!
Inside you vault opens behind vault endlessly.
You will never be complete, that’s how it’s meant to be.”
Blind with tears
I was pushed out on the sun-seething piazza
together with Mr. and Mrs. Jones, Herr Tanaka and Signora Sabatini
and inside them all vault opened behind vault endlessly.

Tomas Tranströmer, För Levande och Döda