Vocal

For soprano, harp and string orchestra (or string quartet). A brief elegiac work written to pay homage to Alice Tully, Lincoln Center benefactress. The vocal line is a smooth, tranquil lullaby, a pure mixture of song and recitative. The text is Menotti’s own, with thought of life, aging, possibly death, and rebirth.

The striking vision of a pair of captive giraffes, taken from Isak Dinesen’s Out of Africa, is the inspiration for this moving vocal work from one of America’s most popular conductor-composers. Written for and recorded by soprano Renée Fleming.