Love and Variations Project

www.swarasonora.com

On April 2008, the Swara Sonora Trio will give the world premiere of the prominent Spanish-Indonesian composer Ananda Sukarlan’s song set “Love and Variations,” which we will then take on a Peace Tour to Indonesia in the summer of 2009.

The world premiere of “Love and Variations” – 8 songs in 5 languages – will take place on Friday, April 25, 2008, at St. Phillip’s in the Hills Episcopal Church in Tucson. The Indonesian tour in 2009 is planned as a Peace Tour in order to raise funds for local UNICEF organizations.

In “Love and Variations,” a collection of 8 songs for soprano, baritone, and piano, composer Ananda Sukarlan has created musical settings of poetry by writers from five countries (Indonesia, Spain, Mexico, the US, and the UK), and in three languages. Each poem, and therefore each of the eight songs, depicts a different aspect or “variation” of love. Following the premiere, the work will be published internationally by Gramedia Publishing International.

The eight songs in “Love and Variations” are:
• Walt Whitman (United States): Hours Continuing Long, Sore and Heavy-hearted (soprano, piano)
• Joko Pinurbo (Indonesia): Kekasihku (baritone, piano)
• Henry W. Longfellow (United States): Snowflakes (soprano, baritone, piano)
• Gustavo Adolfo Becquer (Spain): Amor Eterno (soprano, baritone, piano)
• Amado Nervo (Mexico): Si tu me dices ¡ven! (soprano, baritone, piano)
• Laksmi Pamuntjak (Indonesia): Glass Conservatory (soprano, baritone, antique cymbals)
• Sapardi Djoko Damono (Indonesia): Kukirimkan Padamu (baritone, piano)
• Lord Byron (Great Britain): So We Go No More a Roving (soprano, baritone, piano)