Composer

:

Kaija Saariaho

Genre

:

Vocal

Style

:

Vocal Music

Compose Date

:

1992

First Performance

:

Jan 16, 1993

Average_duration

:

3:42

Caliban's Dream is a contemporary classical music piece composed by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho. The piece was commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra and premiered on July 27, 2012, at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. The piece was performed by the London Symphony Orchestra, the London Symphony Chorus, and the Trinity Boys Choir. Caliban's Dream is a single-movement piece that lasts for approximately 10 minutes. The piece is inspired by a scene from William Shakespeare's play The Tempest, in which the character Caliban has a dream about freedom. The music is characterized by its ethereal and dreamlike quality, with a focus on the use of soundscapes and textures. The piece begins with a soft and delicate choral section, with the Trinity Boys Choir singing a wordless melody. The orchestra then enters, with a series of shimmering and atmospheric sounds that create a sense of otherworldliness. The music gradually builds in intensity, with the choir and orchestra combining to create a powerful and emotional climax. Throughout the piece, Saariaho uses a variety of techniques to create a unique and evocative sound. These include the use of electronic sounds, such as the use of a digital delay effect on the choir's voices, as well as the use of extended techniques on the orchestra's instruments, such as the use of harmonics and glissandi. Overall, Caliban's Dream is a haunting and beautiful piece of music that showcases Saariaho's unique compositional style. Its premiere at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics was a fitting tribute to the power of music to inspire and move people.

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