Legend of Sigh (2015)

For cello, pre-recorded cello and electronics
Duration: 20 minutes
Commissioned by cellist Inbal Segev

Legend of Sigh is a multimedia, immersive piece for cello and electronics written for Inbal Segev by Razaz with video and projection design by filmmaker Carmen Kordas. It was workshopped in May 2015 as part of VisionIntoArt’s second annual FERUS Festival at Pioneer Works in Brooklyn and premiered in February 2016 at National Sawdust in Brooklyn as part of Razaz’s composer-in-residency.

Reviews:

“And the piece that repays attention the most is Legend of Sigh, a 19-minute tone poem for live cello, prerecorded cello, and electronics that instantly entices the ear and doesn’t let go…we are instantly thrust into a phantasmagoric world from the first notes— Segev’s singing cello surrounded by a glowing halo of digital electronic sound, occasionally joined by prerecorded cello.…This is the pick of Razaz’s crop on the album, and it holds up over repeated hearings.”
—San Francisco Classical Voice

“Legend of Sigh […] is tonally and lyrically inventive, pleasingly melodic, emotional but firmly in control of its passions.”
—Blog Critics

Program Note:

Legend of Sigh explores the themes of birth, transformation, and death through the retelling of an old Azerbaijani folktale about a mysterious being, Sigh, who appears every time someone lets out a heartfelt sigh, unknowingly calling out to him. In Razaz’s adapted version, the main character is a widow, who despite her wealth and social status, lives in isolation and loneliness. Overwhelmed with discontent and a desire to end her life, she unknowingly calls upon Sigh. With his help, she is transformed into the body of another woman, receiving another chance at life only to become disillusioned again. Throughout the story, the widow travels through numerous lives, learning more about the human spirit each time through her experiences.

For a complete set of performance materials, please contact me directly.