- The Flood (Stravinsky)
"The Flood: A musical play" (1962) is a short biblical drama by
Igor Stravinsky on the allegory ofNoah , originally written as a televisionopera in response to a commission by CBS Television. It is in Stravinsky's late, serial style.The work was premiered in the
United States on the CBS Television Network onJune 14 ,1962 , a production conducted byRobert Craft and choreographed byGeorge Balanchine . Robert Craft also conducted the first staged performance, inHamburg onApril 30 ,1963 .travinsky on "The Flood"
About the title of the work, Stravinsky wrote: "Why did I call my work "The Flood", instead of "Noah"? Because Noah is mere history. As a genuine
antediluvian he is a great curiosity, but a sideshow curiosity. And even as 'eternal man', the second Adam, the – to Augustinians –Old Testament Christ image, he is less important than the 'Eternal Catastrophe'. The Flood is also 'The Bomb'."Cite quote|date=September 2008Text
The narrative of "The Flood" juxtaposes the story of the Creation with that of
Noah . The text was compiled byRobert Craft using material fromGenesis and the York and Chester cycles ofmystery play s. Excerpts from the "Te Deum " are sung by the chorus.coring
The work is scored for
tenor soloist (Lucifer /Satan ), two bass soloists (God ), several spoken parts (a narrator,Satan , Eve,Noah , a caller, Noah's wife, son of Noah), chorus (SAT) and a largeorchestra of 3flute s (3rd doublingpiccolo ), 2 cors anglais, 2clarinet s,bass clarinet ,contrabass clarinet , 2bassoon s, 4 horns, 3trumpet s, 3trombone s,tuba ,timpani ,bass drum ,cymbal s,xylorimba , 3 tom-toms,harp ,celesta ,piano and strings."The Flood" is published by
Boosey & Hawkes .Movements
The work is in seven parts:
* Prelude
* Melodrama
* The building of the Ark (choreography)
* The catalogue of the animals
* The comedy (Noah and his wife)
* The Flood (choreography)
* The covenant of the rainbowRecordings
*
Robert Craft conducting (in the composer's presence) the Columbia Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, recorded in 1962 forColumbia Masterworks Records , released on CD bySony Classical Records (SM2K 46300)
*Oliver Knussen conducting theLondon Sinfonietta onDeutsche Grammophon (DG 447 068-2, released 1995)References
*
Phillip Ramey : Liner notes to "Igor Stravinsky Edition, vol. X: Oratorio and Melodrama" (Sony Classical SM2K 46300)
* [http://www.boosey.com/pages/opera/moredetails.asp?musicid=7635 Boosey & Hawkes' information about the score] . Retrieved August 16, 2007
* [http://home.earthlink.net/~stravinsky/s102.htm Analysis of "The Flood" by Andrew Kuster] . Retrieved August 16, 2007External links
* [http://www.balanchine.com George Balanchine Trust website]
* [http://www.balanchine.org George Balanchine Foundation website]
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