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Hymn to the United Nations (orquesta)

2222 - 2231 -Timp, Perc. - Strings - Exclusive use of the authorized orchestra and may not be transfered to others

Symphonyc Orchestra

CASALS, Pau; CASALS, Pablo

Reg.: BC0018Qa

168,00 €
P.V.P. (VAT included 4%) Add to cart

  • Arrangement: CASALS, Enric
  • Review: CASALS ISTOMIN, Marta
  • Ensemble: Symphonic orchestra: .
  • Genres: Classical / contemporary: Symphonic.
    Folk music / traditional: Hymns.
  • Lyric author: AUDEN, Wystan Hugh
  • Product format: Particellas
  • Difficulty level: Advanced-superior
  • Period: 2nd half S. XX - XXI
  • Publishing house: Editorial Boileau
  • Collection: Pau Casals
  • Measure: 29,70 x 21,00 cm
  • Lenght: 3'
  • ISMN: 979-0-3503-4025-3
  • Available in digital: No
  • Available for rent: No

2 2 2 2 — 2 2 3 1 — tmp+2 — str
perc: cym, sd, sus cym, tri, chimes, glock

PARTS INCLUDED IN THE SALE OF THIS MATERIAL:
Woodwinds, Brass, Percussion: 1 of each
Strings: 7,6,5,4,3,2

Hymn to the United Nations is based on a text by W. H. Auden and it’s for chorus and piano. There are also three versions of the same work, we indicate later in the fourth paragraph of the present article. Composed in 1971, when Casals was 95 years old, the work was commissioned by the Secretary General of the United Nations, U Thant (1909-1974), the fourth Secretary General of the UN.

The Secretary General was surprised to discover that at that time no composer had written a Peace Hymn. He proposed the idea to his friend Casals who immediately accepted the commission. The Secretary General stipulated that the work was to be based on the Preamble of the Charter of the United Nations with the hope that it would be performed on appropriate occasions.

Although the ideals expressed in the Preamble were very much to Casals’ liking he found that it was almost impossible to write music based on a document of this type. The task of writing an appropriate text based the concept of peace and the ideals found in the United Nations Charter, fell to the celebrated poet Wystan Hugh Auden (1907-1973), respected not only for his poetry but also for his essays about contemporary literature. Although Pau Casals and W. H. Auden were two of the most brilliant personalities of their era, they were not acquainted. However, the Secretary General convinced them to collaborate on this project. Only three days after receiving the commission the poet wrote the ideal poem for the Hymn to the United Nations for which Casals composed the music. Coincidentally both Auden and Casals died in 1973.

The 8 page manuscript of the original version for chorus and piano is written in C Major in 2/4 time. It is signed--«San Juan Puerto Rico Septiembre 27 1971». There are three more versions of this work:
- Choir and Orchestra (original version) and also transported in the key of A Major.
- Symphony Orchestra in A Major without choir.
- Symphony Orchestra for wind in B flat Major without choir.

In the present Edition for Symphony Orchestra in A Major without choir, we have made the minimal modifications of the original, so that this work can be performed without singers.

The Hymn is a brilliant work of great character. The work contains all the appropriate characteristics to a hymn for this emblematic institution.

The World Premiere took place on United Nations Day, October 24, 1971, at the United Nations. Casals himself conducted the Casals Festival Orchestra. That same day Pau Casals was awarded the Peace Medal by the United Nations.

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