New editor David Carter arranges Jewish prayer for cello ensemble
The term "Kaddisch" (or "Kaddish," spelled without the "c" in many English-speaking countries) refers to a Jewish hymn of praise revolving around the sanctification and exaltation of God. French composer Maurice Ravel utilized part of the Kaddisch in a vocal and piano composition commissioned in 1914 for the set Deux mélodies hébraïques.
Ovation Press is delighted to debut a new editor, Chicago-based David Carter, with his two arrangements of Ravel's "Kaddisch" for cello ensemble and cello ensemble with harp.
About Ravel's "Kaddisch" for Nine Celli
Ravel's original composition provides an impressionistic song setting for the Aramaic text that separates different sections of a synagogue service. Ravel also quotes Jewish liturgical melodies throughout the song. This arrangement of "Kaddisch" for nine celli draws upon both the original work and the composer's 1919 arrangement for voice and orchestra.
The solo cello in my arrangement takes on the role of the vocal part. The eight-cello ensemble is versatile enough to take on the accompanying role played by the piano in the original and by the orchestra in Ravel’s arrangement. The original song reaches a dramatic high point near the end with a wordless ascent by the vocalist that is supported by a crescendo in the piano.
--David Carter
About Ravel's "Kaddisch" for Nine Celli and Harp
David Carter has also arranged a version of "Kaddisch" that adds the harp to the cello ensemble, enhancing the music with its ethereal and ambient tonal quality. Like in the celli-only arrangement, the main cello assumes the vocal solo part while the other eight celli and the harp form the accompaniment.
About the Editor – David Carter
David S. Carter is a composer, theorist, and teacher based in Los Angeles, where he is an Assistant Professor of Music (Theory/Composition) at Loyola Marymount University. He earned his doctorate in music composition at Northwestern University, where his principal teacher was Lee Hyla. His works have been performed or recorded by the JACK Quartet, the International Contemporary Ensemble, Ensemble Dal Niente, Ensemble Court-Circuit, and Ensemble Signal, among others. He won the Iron Composer competition at Baldwin Wallace University, Northwestern University’s William T. Faricy Award, and second prize in the Rhenen International Carillon Composition Competition. He has had works performed at the Northwestern University New Music Conference (NUNC! 3), June in Buffalo (2014 and 2011), the 2008 Summer Institute for Contemporary Performance Practice at New England Conservatory, Music07 at the University of Cincinnati, and the 2007 Bowdoin International Music Festival. Examples of his music can be found at davidcartercomposer.com and soundcloud.com/davidscarter.
Learn more about David Carter and his arrangements at Ovation Press.