Songs of Soaring Birds
Lieder cycle by Thorvaldur Gylfason set to poems by Kristján Hreinsson
Songs of Soaring Birds are fourteen songs by Professor Thorvaldur Gylfason set to poems by poet philosopher Kristján Hreinsson. The songs are written for voice, piano, and cello, and arranged by composer Thórir Baldursson. The song cycle is an ode to life and to the beauty of the heavens. A fifteenth birdsong, My Songbird Sings, has recently been added to the cycle.
Kristinn Sigmundsson (bass), Bryndís Halla Gylfadóttir (cello), and Jónas Ingimundarson (piano) gave a sold-out premiere of the cycle in Salurinn in Kópavogur, one of the Reykjavík area’s two main concert venues, 7 September 2014. The concert was repeated in Salurinn 14 September and in Dalvík near Akureyri 21 September. The poet briefly introduced each song. The poetry was projected onto a screen behind the stage. The concert was filmed, and was aired on Icelandic State Televison (RÚV) 16 March 2020 and again 22 March. The sheet music and the poems, also in English translation, were published 2019.
Introductions
Slides
Translations
PROGRAM
1. Í köldu myrkri/In Cold Dark
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
2. Unaðsreiturinn/Bed of Bliss
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
3. Vorið brosir/The Smile of Spring
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
4. Erlan/The Songbird
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
5. Vegur þagnar/The Path of Silence
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
6. Í faðmi fugla/Embraced by Birds
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
7. Grátur Jarðar/Earth Lament
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
8. Fuglshjartað/A Bird´s Heart
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
9. Dúfa/A Dove
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
10. Vals/A Waltz
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
11. Sólskríkjan mín syngur/The Songbird Sings
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
12. Spegill fuglanna/The Mirror of Birds
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
13. Fuglar minninga/Birds Remembered
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
14. Ég syng fyrir þig/I Sing for You
Christine Antenbring mezzosoprano and Mikhail Hallak piano performed this song at a recital of Icelandic lieder in Harpa in Reykjavík 24 August 2013 and again at a recital of Icelandic and Argentinian songs at the Lutheran Church in í Winnipeg 18 May 2014 and again at a recital of Icelandic, Argentinian, and Ukranian songs at Chapel Restoration in Cold Spring, New York, 18 October 2015 with Rachel Evans viola. Hear Christine and Mikhail perform the song here.
Bassi, píanó og selló, Messósópran, píanó og lágfiðla, PDF
15. Einn kafli/One Chapter
Last song before news at noon on Icelandic state radio 6 November 2019.
Bass, piano and cello, Mezzosoprano, piani and viola, PDF
BIRDS REMEMBERED
At day’s end when the sun sets by the sea
and your warm lips emit a radiant smile,
I sit alone in autumn and feel the blessed sunlight
gently covering my deep eyes.
In my mind I see birds that flew from branch to branch
as tears of joy flooded my cheek,
the song that lived is but a memory;
a bliss eagerly greeted by my joyful mind.
In silent stillness, I will find follow for a while
yes, the birds that I saw here before.
Then I glide out to sea to join dream´s wonderful world
and the glory of life watches over me.
