Rolf Martinsson: Garden of Devotion – on Poems by Rabindranath Tagore

Rolf Martinsson for soprano and string orchestra score

Garden of Devotion on Poems by Rabindranath Tagore

Rolf Martinsson

Garden of Devotion

Poems by Rabindranath Tagore

soprano and string orchestra

1. Trust Love

“Trust love even if it brings sorrow. Do not close up your heart.”

“Ah no, my friend, your words are dark, I cannot understand them.”

“The heart is only for giving away with a tear and a song, my love.”

“Ah no, my friend, your words are dark, I cannot understand them.”

“Pleasure is frail like a dewdrop, while it laughs it dies. But sorrow is strong and abiding. Let sorrowful love wake in your eyes.”

“Ah no, my friend, your words are dark, I cannot understand them.”

“The lotus blooms in the sight of the sun, and loses all that it has. It would not remain in bud in the eternal winter mist.”

“Ah no, my friend, your words are dark, I cannot understand them.”

2. Do Not Keep

Do not keep to yourself the secret of your heart, my friend!

Say it to me, only to me, in secret.

You who smile so gently, softly whisper, my heart will hear it, not my ears.

The night is deep, the house is silent, the birds’ nests are shrouded with sleep.

Speak to me through hesitating tears, through faltering smiles, through sweet shame and pain, the secret of your heart!

3. Do Not Go

Do not go, my love, without asking my leave.

I have watched all night, and now my eyes are heavy with sleep.

I fear lest I lose you when I am sleeping.

Do not go, my love, without asking my leave.

I start up and stretch my hands to touch you. I ask myself, “Is it a dream?”

Could I but entangle your feet with my heart and hold them fast to my breast!

Do not go, my love, without asking my leave.

4. My Heart

My heart, the bird of the wilderness, has found its sky in your eyes.

They are the cradle of the morning, they are the kingdom of the stars.

My songs are lost in their depths.

Let me but soar in that sky, in its lonely immensity.

Let me but cleave its clouds and spread wings in its sunshine.

5. Lest I Should Know

Lest I should know you too easily, you play with me.

You blind me with flashes of laughter to hide your tears.

I know, I know your art,  You never say the word you would.

Lest I should not prize you, you elude me in a thousand ways.  Lest I should confuse you with the crowd, you stand aside.

I know, I know your art,  You never walk the path you would.

Your claim is more than that of others, that is why you are silent.  With playful carelessness you avoid my gifts.

I know, I know your art,  You never will take what you would.

from The Gardener (1913) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861–1941). English translation by the author.

INSTRUMENTATION

Solo Soprano

Violin 1

Violin 2a

Violin 2b

Violin 3

Viola 1

Viola 2

Violoncello 1

Violoncello 2

Double Bass (with extension to low C if possible)

• Accidentals only affect the pitch they precede and for that measure only.

• String setup: preferred minimum 5-4-3-2-1 (could be performed with less strings though), up to string orchestra 16-14-12-10-8.

Violin 1

Violin 2a

Violins

Violin 2b

Violin 3

1. Divide the violins into three equal groups: violin 1, violin 2 and violin 3.

If the number of players cannot be divided by three, violin 1, then violin 2, takes priority.

2. Then, divide violin 2 into two equal groups: violin 2a and violin 2b.

If the number of players are uneven, violin 2a takes priority.

Duration: 23 min

Commissioned by Musica Vitae with support from the Swedish Arts Council

World premiere 25 September 2014; Konserthuset, Växjö, Sweden Lisa Larsson, soprano

Musica Vitae, Fredrik Malmberg

ISMN 979-0-070-12515-4

Score: GE 12515 Study score: GE 13087 Vocal score: GE 13282 Parts available on hire

Copyright © 2014 Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, Stockholm

Stema Specialtryck, Borås RM/MM 2018

Garden of Devotion

Pesante

poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37)

poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37)

poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37) poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37) poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37) poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37) poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37) poco a poco con sord. (avoid rest in 37)

concertos

(1980)

(1995)

(1996)

(2005)

for Orchestra

Concerto for Orchestra (2008)

Chamber Concerto No.

Opening Sounds (2012)

Tour de force (2013)

Voice/Orchestra

(2010)

Orchestral Songs on Poems by

Ich denke Dein… (

In i evigheten (Into

Voice/String Orchestra

Goethe, Rilke, Eichendorff

Boye, sopr,

Garden of Devotion (text: Tagore, sopr, 2014)

Forlorn (text: Tagore, sopr, ce, str, 2014)

orchestra

A. S. in Memoriam (15 strings, 1999)

A. S. in Memoriam (string orchestra, 1999/2001)

String Moments (2001)

Kalliope (2004)

Ensemble

Carillon (4 tpts, 2 hns, trb, b trb, tu, 2006)

Airy Flight (solo in C/Bb, brass quintet, 2012)

Passions

Lukaspassionen (soli, choir, ensemble, 2012)

Mixed Choir

Vattennätter (1987)

Öppna en väg (solo, choir, org, 2010)

Male Choir

Månsånger (1993)

Mouthpiece (2006)

Nattviol (2007)

Voice/Chamber Music

Songs on Poems by Emily Dickinson (sopr/mz, pi, 2009/2013)

Till skuggan av en verklighet (To the Shadow of Reality)

text: Boye, sopr, string quartet, 2013)

Chamber Music

Dawning Landscapes (fl, ob, string quintet, 1984)

Duo (vl, ce, 1986)

Triptyk (b cl, pi, 1987)

Oboe Quartet (ob, vl, vla, ce, 1988)

Symbiosis (2 vlns, 2003)

Bridge – Trumpet Concerto No. 1 (tpt, pi, 1998/2007)

Suite Fantastique (cl, pi, 2010/2011)

Solo

Capriccio (vl, 1991)

Exposé, Concert Fantasy (ce, 2005)

Face it! (tpt, 2006)

Bassic Instinct (db, 2011)

Chords and Bells (2006)

Intermezzo (from Lukaspassionen, 2012)

Scorpius (1987)

Aquarius (2006)

A. S. in Memoriam (1999/2007)

Taurus (2011)

Arrangements

From “Five Pieces in Folk Style, op. 102”

cl in A, chamber orchestra, 2014)

From “Five Pieces in Folk Style, op.

cl in A, string orchestra, 2014/2016)

Robert Schumann

Robert Schumann