Tears in your Hand (piano trio), 2007
for piano trio (2006)
commissioned by The Gryphon Trio
for premiere at: Stanford University, January 7 2007
The title of Tears in your Hand alludes to a line from the Yiddish song Unter Dyne Vyse Shetern, (Under the White Stars) by Abraham Sutsever written in 1943 in the Vilna Ghetto. Although never explicitly quoted, ghostly and distorted fragments of the melody are woven through the piece shadowing and blurring the musical gestures. The work was commissioned by the Gryphon Trio in 2006.
Read Rebecca Wallace’s preview piece from the Palo Alto Weekly.
Unter Dayne Vayse Shtern (Under Your White Stars)
Sutzkever and Budno (1943)
Nemen yogn mikh meshune
Trep un hoyfn mit gevoy
Heng ikh a geplatste strune
Un ikh zing tsu dir azoy
Unter dayne vayse shtern
Shtrek tsu mir dayn vayse hant
Mayne verter zaynen trern
Viln ruen in dayn ha
I am chased by evil spirits.
They goad me on stairways and in courtyards
I have only a broken violin string
with which to sing to you:
Under Your white stars
extend your white hand to me
My words are tears
which want to rest in Your hand