Composer

:

Frederic Rzewski

Genre

:

Miscellaneous

Style

:

Piece

Compose Date

:

1992

Average_duration

:

29:05

De Profundis is a composition for solo piano by Frederic Rzewski, an American composer and pianist. The piece was composed in 1992 and premiered in the same year by Ursula Oppens at the Festival of Contemporary Music in Alicante, Spain. The composition is divided into six movements, each of which is based on a different text. The texts are taken from various sources, including the Bible, the writings of Oscar Wilde, and letters from political prisoners. The movements are as follows: 1. Out of the Depths - based on Psalm 130, this movement is characterized by a slow, mournful melody that gradually builds in intensity. 2. The Dungeon - based on a letter from Oscar Wilde, this movement is more rhythmic and percussive, with a driving ostinato in the left hand. 3. The Ballad of Reading Gaol - also based on a text by Oscar Wilde, this movement is more lyrical and melodic, with a haunting melody in the right hand. 4. The Grey Cloth Coat - based on a letter from a political prisoner, this movement is more dissonant and angular, with jagged rhythms and harsh chords. 5. The Ash Grove - based on a Welsh folk song, this movement is more peaceful and contemplative, with a simple, flowing melody. 6. De Profundis - based on the famous letter from Oscar Wilde, this final movement is the longest and most complex. It begins with a slow, mournful melody that gradually builds in intensity, before giving way to a more frenzied section with rapid, virtuosic runs and cascading arpeggios. The piece ends with a return to the opening melody, played softly and slowly. Overall, De Profundis is a powerful and emotionally charged work that explores themes of suffering, oppression, and redemption. Rzewski's use of texts from different sources gives the piece a diverse range of moods and textures, while his virtuosic piano writing showcases the instrument's full range of expressive possibilities.

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