Devoting a passion to a fairy tale character? American composer David Lang does not shy away from it. He based his choral work the little match girl passion like a fairy tale from Hans Christian Andersen. Thursday, July 6, it will be performed by the Dutch Chamber Choir at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. The concert is part of the Choral Biennale and will be enlivened by dance.
Christian purity
David Lang wrote the libretto himself and not only used texts from The girl with the sulphur sticks, but also from the Matthew Passion by Bach. Indeed, he sees a connection between the suffering of Christ and the suffering of the match seller frozen to death. He sees Andersen's fairy tale as an allegory of poverty and faith. 'The girl suffers, is despised by bystanders, dies and is redeemed. Despite everything, she preserves her Christian purity.'
For Lang, the story's strength lies not so much in the plot itself as in its subtle contradictions. 'All the parts - the horror and the beauty - are continuously permeated by their opposite. The girl's bitter present is softened by sweet memories; in her poverty, she nevertheless remains ever hopeful. There is a kind of naive balance between suffering and hope.'
Audience becomes participant
The move to the Matthew Passion by Bach was quickly set. 'The interesting thing is that it also contains texts not directly related to the actual story. Such as reactions of bystanders, penitential thoughts, expressions of general sorrow, shock or repentance.'
This was often in the form of chorales that churchgoers sang along. An ideal form according to Lang. 'By simultaneously telling and commenting on the story, we are placed at the centre of the action. We become part of the sad events on stage.'
Devout atmosphere
The devout atmosphere of the little match girl passion sometimes recalls madrigals and Byzantine chants. The choir members not only sing, but also play simple percussion instruments. Partly because of the repetitive nature of the music, the idea of a ritual is reinforced.
In 2015, vocal ensemble Silbersee a staged version, which moved audiences to tears. During the performance by the Netherlands Chamber Choir, two dancers add an extra layer to the tragedy. According to the press release, choreographer Neel Verdoorn 'like David Lang, is fascinated by the bleakness versus the hope'.
The little match girl passion was awarded with a Pulitzer Prize. - Like Anthracite Fields by fellow Bang on a Can composer Julia Wolfe, which was performed at the Choral Biennale last Sunday. Curious if the suffering of the sulphur stick girl has as much impact as the suffering of the (young) miners.
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