Dominick Argento's Cenotaph was the American Choral Directors Association's Raymond W. Brock Memorial Commission for its 2009 national convention in Oklahoma City. A cenotaph is defined as a monument to someone buried elsewhere, and the cenotaphs found in America-and indeed across the world-have inspired Argento's writing. This newly-commissioned work uses a collage of textual sources, and employs the composer's signature harmonic language and melodic beauty. From the initial muted rumblings of a crowd awaiting a parade to the broad a cappella textures of its internal movements, Cenotaph commemorates those who have given their lives for their countries, no matter what that country happens to be. |
