Cre(m)ation for Cello and Piano: sheet music; listen
Cre(m)ation for Cello and String Orchestra: sheet music
Cre(m)ation, a five-movement suite for cello and piano (or string orchestra), is a work dedicated to the Kyiv Crematorium at Baikove Cemetery, an architectural masterpiece that combines modernist and expressionist influences. For me, this structure stands as a unique symbol of the cycles of life and death, blending dramatic expressionist form with solemn purpose. The title itself, Cre(m)ation, hints at the delicate distinction between creation and cremation—concepts separated by a single letter, a reminder of life’s ephemerality, and the thin line between beginnings and ends.
"On Fire": This opening movement reintroduces a theme from the Vanity movement of my earlier suite, Koheleth. In the second section, the Ukrainian folk song “Halya is carrying water” emerges, though in a darker, reimagined light.
"Facing Out": Inspired by the twin Halls of Farewell, this movement evokes the grandeur and silence of these spaces overlooking the city and surrounded by the columbarium. Here, I reflect on their quiet majesty and the inevitable passage they represent, creating a reverent and contemplative atmosphere.
"Funeral Fanfare (Di Silberne Chasene)": Based on the Klezmer tune Silver Wedding, this movement is a nod to the tradition of Balkan funeral bands. The opening and closing sections capture the intensity and drama of these bands, while the middle section shifts to a nigun, a wordless lament, underscoring a sense of mourning and spirituality through a repeating harmonic progression.
"A Psalm before Internment": This movement reflects the solemnity of the final words spoken by the officiant. Its theme is derived from my Third Biblical Song, based on the text of Psalm 138, offering a meditative closure to the service.
"In Ashes": The suite concludes with a quiet reprise of On Fire, with the cello playing over the bridge to create a metallic, whispering sound that symbolizes ashes carried by the wind. Here, the theme of “from dust to dust” resonates, bringing the suite full circle in reflecting on life’s fragile continuity.
Cre(m)ation is both an homage to an extraordinary architectural work and an exploration of life’s transitory nature. Each movement reflects on different facets of farewell, loss, and spiritual passage, held together by a reverence for the cycles embodied by the Kyiv Crematorium.
The premiere of Cre(m)ation took place on December 17, 2024, at Fellowship Bible Church in Greenville, SC.