CRUMB — Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale)

GEORGE CRUMB Vox Balaenae (Voice of the Whale) Mimi Stillman, flute Arlen Hlusko, cello Amy Yang, piano Performed on Sunday, September 22, 2013 Gould Rehearsal Hall, Curtis Institute of Music, Philadelphia As the environmental movement took hold in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and “save the whales” became more than just a bumper sticker, George Crumb’s groundbreaking Vox Balaenae provided a distinct musical voice to this cause while creating a richly vivid landscape (or seascape) of sound and texture. Crumb puts the contemporary relationship between man and whale on a much broader scale, painting a picture that encapsulates the vast spans of history that predate man’s interaction with the sea and its inhabitants before introducing the inevitable conflict. This chronological musical journey touches upon elements of science, history, religion, and existential philosophy, as well various moral and ethical questions. The players each wear black half-masks throughout th