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In April 1968, deeply moved by the tragic death of Martin Luther King, Morawetz
decided to write a work dedicated to the memory of this great civic leader. The
composition was completed a few months later and it was premièred by Zara
Nelsova as solo cellist. It has since become one of the most frequently
performed cello compositions of present time. The exclusion of all string
instruments from the orchestra gives this work a specially majestic character of
great dramatic power, quite different from any composition in the entire range
of cello literature.
The eight sections of the work picture the fateful events which surrounded
King's death:
- Sharp dissonances in the brass instruments express shock and dismay.
- The cello enters with an extended, sorrowful melodic line.
- A tense, strongly rhythmic dialogue between cello and orchestra brings us
back to the last day of King's life - the freedom march in Memphis.
- A dramatic orchestral interlude depicts the fateful shot and death.
- A transformed variation of section 2, with the cello accompanied only by
the woodwinds and celesta, expressing grief and sadness.
- Funeral Procession: the brass, drums and bells enter with a sombre,
dirge-like colour, playing majestically King's favourite spiritual, Free at
Last, each phrase interrupted by lamenting themes in the cello.
- An orchestral interlude where the brass and the various percussion
instruments rise to high tension and die out again in a softly sustained
chord.
- A rising cello line, accompanied by high-pitched ethereal colours in the
orchestra, concludes the work in an atmosphere of peace and resignation.
The whip
When Morawetz first heard his composition in rehearsal, he was disturbed that
the fateful gunshot, which he had depicted with the use of the whip, was barely
audible. He implored the percussionist to make as loud a sound as he could with
the instrument, but was still not satisfied with the result. Finally in
exasperation, Morawetz went home and fashioned his own whip out of two pieces of
wood at least twice the length of an ordinary whip. This hand-crafted instrument
produced a gunshot sound that was clearly audible above the music. Morawetz made
a habit of loaning his whip to the percussionist whenever he attended rehearsals and
performances of this composition.
For further background information on this composition, see the following:
On January 13, 1993, the day of the first performance which cellist Yo Yo Ma
gave with the Toronto Symphony, he was interviewed by CBC Arts National. Here
are excerpts from this interview in which he speaks about the composition,
Memorial to Martin Luther King:
Oskar said
that when he wrote this piece, many people asked him how he could relate to
this so much: a Jew from Europe, a white person, talking about a situation
that was very rooted in black America...
When you
perform this work, are you thinking of Martin Luther King...
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