The lyrics may be familiar, but the songs
are definitely not the same.
On May 22, when the Brooklyn Philharmonic plays the New York
premiere of an orchestral song cycle by John Corigliano, "Mr.
Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan," the melodies
we’ve heard for decades are nowhere to be found.
Instead, Corigliano’s own music accompanies many of Dylan’s most
famous lyrics.
In a recent interview with GO Brooklyn, Corigliano, 66, said
he did not remember listening to those Dylan tunes back in the
’60s.
"Back then, the Beatles really caught my ear musically,
but when I heard the Dylan songs afterwards, I realized that,
even if I had heard them at the time, they wouldn’t have caught
my ear," said Corigliano. "The music is simplistic
and repetitious, but it supports marvelous lyrics. The actual
songs of the Beatles were musically interesting, but Dylan put
these great, poetic lyrics to a simple musical style."
"Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan" is a
journey through seven Dylan lyrics that Corigliano wanted to
adapt. "I looked through a book with all of his lyrics,
and I narrowed it down to what [lyrics] I wanted to set and put
them in a certain order to show a coming political awareness,
in a way to find how the world really works," he explained.
The song cycle begins with "Mr. Tambourine Man," then
moves through "Clothesline," "Blowin’ in the Wind,"
"Masters of War," "All Along the Watchtower"
and "Chimes of Freedom," before ending with "Forever
Young."
"The postlude [’Forever Young’] is a kind of benediction
after all that comes before," said Corigliano, who maintained
that the fact that several of the chosen songs are among Dylan’s
greatest was sheer coincidence.
"I picked the ones for my own journey, because they were
all obscure to me," he noted. "Most people who do know
the songs find it very interesting to hear [this cycle]. Since
they know the originals, it sounds like hearing two things at
once, and it surprises them that both versions can exist."
This, of course, is not new in the classical music world, where
many poems have been set to music by more than one composer.
"The point about art is its universality," said Corigliano.
"Even if it was specifically about one thing, you can apply
it to other things and it will still make sense. I wanted something
that really speaks to us today."
Corigliano’s Dylan cycle was unveiled four years ago at Carnegie
Hall as a work for soprano and piano accompaniment; Sylvia McNair
sang the premiere. For the Brooklyn premiere of the orchestral
cycle, Hila Plitmann will sing.
"The orchestra does change [the work] an awful lot,"
said Corigliano. "It was written for amplified soprano,
since I don’t want Dylan’s words to sound operatic, and I don’t
want the singer to try and project over the orchestra in a natural
voice. You can sing more naturally when you’re amplified, since
you don’t need to sing over the orchestra."
For his part, Corigliano, a Midwood High School alumnus, is excited
that Plitmann is singing his work.
"She has this extraordinary gift for getting inside music,
which very few people do," he said. "She brings something
to the songs that’s unique – she acts them as well as she sings
them. For me, it’s pure joy to hear her."
Along with Corigliano’s composition, the concert – the final
one of the Brooklyn Philharmonic’s 50th anniversary season –
features a Beethoven overture as a nod to the orchestra’s premiere
all-Beethoven concert in 1954, and Richard Strauss’ "Le
Bourgeois Gentilhomme" Suite, a lively work for the entire
orchestra.
JoAnn Falletta, conductor of another New York State orchestra,
the Buffalo Philharmonic, makes her Brooklyn debut with this
concert.
"I’m delighted about conducting [here] for the first time,"
she said in a recent interview. "It’s an exciting piece
that we’re premiering by John Corigliano. He has such an appetite
for everything, and he’s the only composer who can pull this
off and make it the vibrant piece that it is.
"I worked on putting this program together," she continued,
"and since it is the 50th anniversary [of the Brooklyn Philharmonic],
we wanted to create all these special ties that link the orchestra’s
history to New York City’s history and to music history."
Corigliano has the best perspective on this very special program
of classical music that spans the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
"I think it’s very appropriate that an American orchestra
honors Beethoven and Strauss, but at the same time, represents
American contemporary music, which is how an orchestra can actually
remain relevant to the community," said Corigliano.
"That’s healthy."
The Brooklyn Philharmonic performs the
music of Beethoven, Strauss and Corigliano at the BAM Howard
Gilman Opera House, 30 Lafayette Ave. at Ashland Place in Fort
Greene, May 22 at 8 pm. Tickets are $20, $40 and $55. For more
information, call (718) 622-5555.
