Hall of Ghosts

By Amanda Harberg

Item Number: PR.114422230

ISBN 9781491133910. 9 x 12 inches.

HALL OF GHOSTS was composed in 2020 during the Covid-19 lockdown period; it was inspired by piccoloist Gudrun Hinze’s video for Harberg’s Prayer Project filmed in the hauntingly empty Gewandhaus Chamber Music Hall. Evocative of imagined spirits in the empty hall, the music pitsdramatic silences, amid searching and plaintive phrases of the piccolo, against a lively middle section – a dialogue between the ticking of time and an instrument striving to make itself heard.
HALL OF GHOSTS was composed in April 2020 as a “thank you” giftdedicated to the wonderful community of flutists who participated inmy Prayer Project – a virtual flute orchestra project that I producedduring the Covid-19 lockdown period.HALL OF GHOSTS was inspired by piccoloist Gudrun Hinze, whorecorded her part for the Prayer Project in the empty GewandhausChamber Music Hall. This hall would normally be full of musiciansrehearsing and performing, but now, due to Covid-19, the hall layempty and filled only with echoes and memories. The image of Gudrun’ssolitary piccolo inspired in me a musical invocation, imploring thespirits to let the music return.In the first section, the silence of rests and pauses creates an expressivebackground for the searching and plaintive phrases of the solo piccolo.The lively middle section is a contrapuntal dialogue between theticking of time and an instrument striving to make itself heard. Thesematerials trade off throughout the piece. You can decide through yourinterpretation on who wins. The music? Or the ghosts?— Amanda Harberg.