The New Ring

This work for choir, originally titled “De Groene Ring” (The Green Ring), was composed in 2013 on commission from the Muziektheater Amsterdam / De Nederlandse Opera (Amsterdam Music Theatre / Dutch Opera) on the occasion of performances of Wagner's “Der Ring des Nibelungen” at the Dutch Opera. The first movement (the Earth) was composed for four-part mixed choir and is inspired by the first movement of Wagner's Ring, “Das Reingold”. In the first section, the note E flat (mi mol) is played as a constant tone by the altos and tenors, while the sopranos sing a rhythmic repeating motif. Loose, accentuated tones across the four different voices characterise the second section. After the third section, which sounds like a mantra, there is a chord progression and at the end the work returns to its beginning. The text of this first part consists of loose vowels and consonants that have no semantic meaning. The second part (de Mens) for soprano solo and female choir is sung entirely “bocca chiusa” (with closed mouth). The first section consists of an ethnically inspired melody for the soprano solo, supported by a harmonically sustained chord in the choir. The second section features a nine-part choir, whose singers – spread out in the space – each sing their own melody independently, without strict synchronisation. The third section concludes the second part like a supplication, a litany. The third part (the Tree) for mixed choir starts from a rhythmic repeating motif with an almost minimalist character. The middle section begins with slow arpeggios (broken chords). After a recurring rhythmic passage, the work ends with a few chords that echo from afar (lontano). In this part, the text is rendered intelligibly. “I see the earth for the second time green and refreshed rising from the sea” There is a possibility to perform this choral work in combination with electronics.