EXTENDED TECHNIQUES: George Crumb – Ancient Voices of Children

George Crumb’s masterful usage of extended techniques draws the listener inside the soulful poetry of Frederico Garcia Lorca. The texts are about the wonder of childhood, the yearning for children, grief at the loss of a child, and finally the quest for the child inside our own souls. This is a wonderful and well filmed performance. Note in particular, at the end of the piece, the two vocalists singing into the open piano. This is both a musical choice for enhanced reverberation, and a performance choice, portraying the search deep inside the soul for the voice of your own child. Remarkable.