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Reena Esmail

Composer

Acharanga (string orchestra)

July 10, 2018 by

Premiere of youth orchestra version of Acharanga. William Annin Middle School Orchestra; Brian McGowan, conductor, Gautam Namjoshi, tabla

Program Notes

Acharanga is a vibrant, driving piece that derives its name from the Acharanga Sutra — a sacred Jain text. While Jainism is a religion most commonly known for its peaceful preservation of all forms of life, the text that inspired this piece is fiery and prescriptive, imploring the listener to act and think responsibly.

The original version of this melody, with the words above, comes from movement 6 of my oratorio, This Love Between Us. Listen to a recording of this movement here.

Recording

Atlanta International School Upper School Orchestra
Rebecca Wade-Chung, director

Special Performance Requirements

Sitar and tabla parts are designed to be played by students of these instruments who are at a similar level to the string students playing the orchestra parts. The tabla part is in a simple madhya laya Rupak throughout, and sitar part is a bandish in Raag Kafi, which can be taught by rote or learned by ear, with entrances cued by conductor.

The piece can be played by string orchestra alone. Tabla and/or sitar can also be added (one or both are fine). Sitar can also be replaced by another melodic instrument (bansuri, or even Indian vocals).

Amplification is always required for Hindustani musicians, unless they are playing in a very small space, with very few other musicians. A student might not know to ask for this, and it might seem excessive by Western music standards, but it is an absolute necessity for Indian music, even for student performers.

The intention of Acharanga is for students of Hindustani classical music to be able to play with students of Western classical music. (note: if you have a student who studies Carnatic music, this piece could likely be modified work for them as well.)

Audio Guide

Audio Guide forthcoming.

Premiere/Performances

This piece was commissioned by Brian McGowan, conductor of William Annin Middle School Orchestra in Bridgewater, NJ. It was premiered in June, 2018 at William Annin Middle School.

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Instrumentation: intermediate string orchestra, with optional sitar and/or tabla

Other Versions:
– Violin and Piano
– see: mmt 6 of This Love Between Us (original piece)

Duration: 4′

Year: 2018

Movements: 1

Commissioned by: William Annin Middle School Orchestra, Bridgewater NJ; Brian McGowan, conductor

Program Notes

Recording

Special Performance Requirements

Audio Guide (for performers)

Premiere/Performances

Esmail is the Los Angeles Master Chorale’s 2020-2025 Swan Family Artist in Residence, and was Seattle Symphony’s 2020-21 Composer-in-Residence. She also holds awards/fellowships from United States Artists, the S&R Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and the Kennedy Center.

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Contact Details

Requesting a perusal copy of choral music
Email: [email protected]

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