A new electro-acoustic work composed by Associate Professor of Music Ralf Y. Gaw颅lick and premiering later this month in Newton is a musical memorial to his close relative that also pays homage to a World War II milestone.
鈥淗erzliche Gr眉脽e Bruno ~ Briefe aus Stalingrad (Best Regards, Bruno ~ Letters from Stalingrad)鈥� is based on the final two evocative letters written by Gawlick鈥檚 19-year-old Uncle Bruno before he was listed as missing in action in December, 1942.
鈥淏est Regards Bruno ~ Letters from Stalingrad鈥� debuts on March 30 at 7 p.m. at the First Baptist Church in Newton Center (848 Beacon Street).
Gawlick鈥檚 compositions draw inspira颅tion from literary, visual, and musical landscapes in both time and place. This dialogue across centuries and among the arts informs much of his solo, chamber, orchestral, film, and vocal music. Through prominent festivals, recordings, and com颅missions, his work has received national and international recognition.
Ralf Gawlick based his new composition on World War II letters written by his Uncle Bruno.
鈥淭his piece is both highly personal and contributory to a larger commemoration: the 75th anniversary of Stalingrad,鈥� Gaw颅lick said. 鈥淚n its intimacy and reflections, it constitutes a fierce anti-war memorial, which is relevant today.
鈥淚 felt called to write this work for my young uncle鈥攖o honor and preserve his memory for the entire family, and in artistic terms, to give voice to a story which tragically repeats every day. It pre颅serves Bruno鈥檚 memory; its title includes his words: He signed his letters 'Herzliche Gr眉脽e聽Bruno [Best Regards, Bruno].鈥� They are also the last words spoken in the piece.鈥�
Performed by noted musicians Bradford Gleim (baritone) and Chi-Chen Wu (piano), the piece moves the audience through time and space via a soundscape that integrates archival sound recordings with the live spoken word, two separate piano parts, and sung texts. This is the first time Gawlick, a prolific composer, has fused such elements into his work.
Of his compositional methodology, Gawlick said: 鈥淭he poetic and structural constitutions of the letters translate into the work鈥檚 musical language and design. I wanted to place Bruno within a larger soundscape of the battle: This suggested the concept of an electro-acoustic montage, which is singular to my compositions to date.鈥�
Uncle Bruno's letters always ended with "Herzliche Gr眉脽e Bruno [Best Regards, Bruno]."
Over a two-year period of research, Gawlick tracked his uncle via the involve颅ment of Bruno鈥檚 regiment in the Battle of Stalingrad. 鈥淚mmersing myself into the hell of Stalingrad through archival sources and specialist literature has been heart-wrench颅ing, profoundly painful and moving. Re颅tracing his steps within the horror of the battle and larger socio-political cultural context has consumed me since the discov颅ery of his handwritten letter in early 2017.鈥�
The incorporation of archival sound material, Gawlick explained, is a defin颅ing and essential component of the piece. The use of recorded and live piano reflects Bruno鈥檚 ability to play the instrument as a teenager; the former portrays his inno颅cence before battle that recurs throughout the work like a frozen memory, the latter represents collective conscience, a sound picture of mourning. Spoken texts include Bruno鈥檚 letters in recordings of Gawlick; his 93-year-old aunt giving voice to the words of her fallen brother; and eminent Dutch baritone Max van Egmond, who was drawn to the project because he was interred as a child in a Japanese concentra颅tion camp during World War II.
Sung texts include words from the Gospels of St. Matthew and St. Luke, Ezekiel, and Revelation, evoking the sol颅diers鈥� prayers in the face of death and their collective suffering, Gawlick said. The Stalingrad soundscape鈥攃omprising six recorded excerpts, including from G枚ring鈥檚 January 1943 鈥淣ibelungen鈥� Speech, the Reich鈥檚 1942 simulcast Christmas message, and battle sounds from World War II鈥攊s present throughout the work and is both a chronicle and agent of the musical drama, he added.
The work is recorded on Musica Omnia and Perfect-Noise, its German partner la颅bel, and will be released in time at the end of March.
The work and its premiere are part of a 2018-19 cultural initiative between the United States and Germany, 鈥淲underbar Together,鈥� promoted by Germany鈥檚 Federal Foreign Office and the Goethe Institut in Washington D.C., and supported by the Boston German Consulate and Goethe Institut. Gawlick received a Research In颅centive Grant for the project from the In颅stitute for the Liberal Arts.
The March 30 premiere is free for Bos颅ton College students, faculty, and staff. Tickets for the general public are $20 and may be purchased at the door. For more information, contact Gawlick at聽谤补濒蹿.驳补飞濒颅颈肠办@产肠.别诲耻.
Details on 鈥淏est Regards Bruno,鈥� in颅cluding background, artists鈥� information, and archival materials, are available at聽.
鈥擱osanne Pellegrini |聽University Communications | March 2019