Biblical Songs (High Voice)
Biblical Songs (Medium Voice)
Biblical Songs (Low Voice, bass clef)
Le Tombeau de Dvořák (for Cello and Piano)
Antonín Dvořák has always been my favorite song composer. His mastery of the art song genre, particularly his ability to blend the traditions of German Lieder—shaped by Schubert and Schumann—with distinctly Slavic tones, is unparalleled. Among his many works, Love Songs, Op. 83 stands, in my opinion, as the pinnacle of late Romantic art songs. While composers like Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, and Wolf also achieved brilliance in their song cycles, Dvořák's unique voice consistently resonates with me on a deeper level.
Inspired by my love for Dvořák, particularly his Biblical Songs, Op. 99, a stunning cycle of ten settings based on Psalm texts, and recognizing a gap in the repertoire, I felt a need for biblical art songs in a Slavic language. While there are numerous sacred settings of scripture in English, the majority of biblical texts set to music are choral or liturgical, often in Latin, Church Slavonic, or German. Little representation of this genre exists in Ukrainian, and I wanted to address that need.
In 2010, I began selecting biblical texts for this project, choosing the Ivan Ohienko Bible translation for most settings. Ohienko's translation, akin to the NASB or ESV in English, is precise and reverent, offering a strong foundation for musical interpretation. I composed the first two songs that year and collaborated with my friend, the talented baritone Mark Wanich. Despite having no experience with any Slavic language, Mark embraced the challenge, and we worked together on his diction. His ability to sing convincingly in Ukrainian was affirmed by native speakers—a high compliment for any non-native performer.
The third song was written in November 2013, this time in English. However, I was never satisfied with the result. It felt incomplete and lacked the natural flow of the first two. Over the next decade, the project remained on my mind. In January 2025, encouraged by my wife to stay true to the Ukrainian language, I decided to finish the cycle. Revisiting the earlier songs, I transferred them from Finale to Dorico, where I've been engraving since 2024; this allowed me to clean up minor details and rewrite the third song to fit the Ukrainian language naturally. I also added another verse for better context.
The completed cycle is originally scored for baritone or alto voice, with transpositions available for tenor/soprano and bass (in bass clef). Each song is two to three and a half minutes long, unified by its concise yet evocative character. Below is an overview of the eight songs in the cycle:
Proverbs 31:25-26, 29-30 (G-flat major)
The harp-like piano accompaniment reflects the tender strength of the Proverbs 31 woman. The inspiration for this song was Robert's aria about Matilda in Tchaikovsky's Iolanta.
Psalm 139:9-12 (D-flat major)
The main melody, borrowed from my 2003 Sonata for Violin and Cello, incorporates vivid text painting: ascending triplets depict wings, dark harmonies embody darkness, and the light shines through on the final note. The spoken text on a single pitch mirrors the solemnity of the Psalm. This setting also appears in my unaccompanied cello suite Koheleth (2020).
Psalm 138:1-2, 7-8 (B-flat major/minor mix)
The piano's sparse texture creates a sense of reverence in God's temple as the singer offers thanks. This setting was later adapted as The Psalm Before Internment in my Cre(m)ation suite for cello and piano.
Lamentations 3:22-25 (A-flat mixolydian and D-flat major)
In the A section, the left hand of the piano doubles the vocal line, while the right hand provides an offbeat accompaniment in the upper register. It contrasts with the harp-like accompaniment in the B section, reflecting God's mercies renewed each morning.
Psalm 23:1-4 (F# Ahavoh-Rabboh mode)
This setting portrays a pastoral scene through harp-like textures and shepherd's pipe motifs. The mode evokes a sense of divine guidance and peace.
Psalm 121:1-4, 7-8 (A-flat mixolydian, ending in D-flat major)
This song is the most energetic in the cycle. The piano's rhythmic vitality and arpeggios mirror the ascent described in this "Song of Ascents," while the vocal melody visually suggests the hills it describes. The piano's left-hand plays in a rhythmic canon to the voice for much of the song.
John 1:1-5 (B-flat minor, then major)
The music ascends from the depths as John's creation account unfolds. The vocal line remains almost recitative-like, lifting into melody as the text speaks of light overcoming darkness.
Revelation 22:1-3, 5 (D-flat major)
The cycle concludes with a musical depiction of God's fulfilled promises: the river flowing from the throne, the ever-fruitful tree of life, and the eternal light of God.
These songs reflect my belief that sacred texts can thrive as art songs, providing performers and listeners with opportunities to engage deeply with scripture. While the music draws inspiration from Romantic-era traditions, it is rooted in my personal voice as a composer. I hope this cycle will enrich Slavic vocal literature and the broader repertoire of biblical art songs. Six of the songs have been adapted for cello and piano as Le Tombeau de Dvořák and dedicated to my recently departed friends Herman Whitfield III (2022), Oksana Vignan (2023), Jon Toben (2024), and Vinny DeMio (2025).