rwh 2: Full Score

This score captures a singular artistic vision: Andre uses the ensemble not as a traditional voice and instrument grouping but as a unified sound mass exploring breath, silence, and sustained tones across 24 voices, strings, accordion, piano, and percussion. Conductors drawn to contemporary repertoire that prioritizes texture and timbre over conventional harmonic or melodic development will find a meticulously notated score that rewards deep study and yields remarkable results in performance.

Immersive and meditative, with moments of luminous beauty emerging from sustained vocal and instrumental textures. The piece unfolds through careful shifts in timbre and density rather than dramatic contrast, creating a listening experience that feels both intimate and vast, as if exploring the breath that moves between individual voices and a larger collective presence.

Conductors leading advanced chamber choirs and contemporary music ensembles who can assemble the required instrumentation (mixed choir, strings, accordion, piano, and percussion) and who have rehearsal time to develop nuance in a complex contemporary score. This work suits university choral programs, professional contemporary music festivals, and ambitious community ensembles with access to experienced singers and instrumentalists.

• Treat the mixed choir as an instrumental texture rather than a traditional vocal ensemble; pay attention to exact articulation, vowel shaping, and breath placement as notated, since these directly shape the overall timbre Andre seeks.
• Balance the accordion and piano layers carefully with the string writing; these instruments function as harmonic and timbral anchors that must remain audible without overwhelming the choir or percussion.
• Allow adequate rehearsal time for the ensemble to develop comfort with extended techniques, unconventional rhythmic patterns, and the spatial awareness required when 24 singers coordinate with five instrumental parts.
• Use the recorded premiere performance (conducted by Ingo Metzmacher) as a reference for pacing and overall sound world, but encourage your ensemble to discover their own sonic palette within Andre's precise notation.

Program this as a centerpiece of a contemporary music concert or festival exploring works rooted in spiritual and philosophical inquiry. It can stand alone as a substantial work or pair well with other pieces in Andre's cycle (rw? 1, 3, or 4) if your venue and ensemble can sustain performance of the complete cycle. The score's 104 pages and chamber ensemble forces make it suitable for a dedicated contemporary music event rather than a traditional mixed concert.

• Reading complex contemporary notation including extended vocal techniques and unconventional rhythmic structures
• Balancing choir, strings, accordion, piano, and percussion in a texture-based compositional approach
• Developing ensemble blend and intonation across 24 voices singing in sustained, often sustained sonorities
• Interpreting a score where timbre and breath control function as primary compositional materials
• Coordinating with instrumental soloists within a mixed ensemble context