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Reena Esmail

Composer

Varsha (viola version)

May 11, 2022 by

(*this work was originally written for cello)

Varsha — Madeleine Bouissou, cello

Program Notes

Varsha was written for the Haydn Seven Last Words project, for Juilliard415. The project commissioned seven composers (including Nico Muhly, Paola Prestini, Jessica Meyer, Tania Leon, Caroline Shaw and Colin Jacobsen) to write interludes between each of the Haydn quartets.

This piece, Varsha, serves as an interlude between Sonata V (Sitio – “I Thirst”) and Sonata VI (Consummatum Est – “It is finished”) of Haydn’s Seven Last Words. The combination of Hindustani raags used in this piece are from the Malhaar family, which are sung to beckon rain.

I imagined an interlude between these two sonatas: Christ thirsts. Rain comes from the distance (Megh Malhaar). There is a downpour around him (Miyan ki Malhaar), but he grows slowly weaker. His next words make clear that even the rain is not enough: his thirst is of another sort, which cannot be quenched by water. And so, it is finished.

Recording

Recording of the viola version of Varsha:

Varsha (viola version) — Vijay Chalasani, viola

Audio Guide

For an audio guide to this piece, please contact us.

Premiere/Performances

This piece was commissioned by Juilliard Historical Performance as part of the Haydn Seven Last Words Project. It was premiered on April 16, 2019 at St. John the Divine Church in New York City. The soloist was Madeleine Bouissou.

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Instrumentation: Viola
Other Versions:
  • Varsha (cello version)
  • Varsha (violin version)
Duration: 5'
Year: 2019
Movements: 1
Commissioned By:

Juilliard415 for the Haydn Seven Last Words Project


 

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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Requesting a perusal copy of choral music
Email: manager@reenaesmail.com

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