Vocal Compositions
Opera
I DID, DID I? (2020) - semi-staged performance of complete opera, world premiere
for two sopranos and chamber ensemble
Music by: Liza Sobel Crane
Libretto by: Gina Elia and Liza Sobel Crane
Duration: 50 minutes
I DID, DID I? begins with two roommates, one a dedicated homebody, one a socialite, chatting about the virtues and vices of going out. After one of the women notices something unusual, however, what seems at first like an innocuous conversation spirals out of control, revealing that all is not what it seems. An opera about gender, the dark side of dating, and above all about memory. Please note that the opera discusses sexual assault, which may be triggering for some. I DID, DID I? was commissioned by the Zafa Collective. The premiere was on May 5, 2022 at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago.
Performers: Christina Pecce (Woman 1), Liza Sobel Crane (Woman 2), Suzanne Hannau (flutes), Nico Chona (clarinets), Josh Graham (percussion), Louise Chan (piano), Hannah Christiansen (violin), Kelly Quesada (cello), and Maurice Cohn (conductor)
I DID, DID I? - staged performance. This performance omits one scene.
Performers: Cosmia Opera Collective - Claire O'Shaughnessy (Woman 1), Isabel Yang (Woman 2), Maya Ravi (flute), Jason Chen (clarinet), Anya Liu (piano), Daniel Kinney (percussion), Evelyn Rushall (violin), Naomi Aires (cello), Jason Gluck (conductor), Cece Olszweski (producer), Maya Vandegrift (movement director)
Art Songs - Voice and Piano
The Year (2024)
Music by: Liza Sobel Crane
Text by: Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Duration: 23 minutes
The Year can be sung by high or low voices. In songs 1-4, there are numerous ossias to accommodate different singers’ ranges. For songs 5-6, there is a high voice and low voice version of each song.
The Year was written for the baritone, Andrew Garland. It was commissioned by the American Composers Forum, ACF Connect contributors, and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.
I first came across Ella Wheeler Wilcox’s most well known poem, “Solitude.” As I further explored Wilcox’s poems, I was drawn to her poignantly expressed emotions, direct language, and her practical, yet optimistic life view. I grouped six of Wilcox’s poems together to form the cycle The Year. The cycle’s name and the poems’ order are inspired by the opening poem, which discusses the joys and sorrows many experience throughout a year from falling in love, to loss, death, and ultimately overcoming hardships.
Performers: Andrew Garland (baritone), Jeremy Reger (piano)
Skin (2014) version for voice and piano
orchestrated version of Skin in Soloist and Ensemble section
Music by: Liza Sobel Crane
Text by: Richard Scott
Duration: 12 minutes
I wrote Skin while attending the Aldeburgh Festival’s English Song Project. I was paired with the poet Richard Scott. During an intensive week, Richard wrote his poems while I composed the music. (Later, I revised and expanded the work.) Richard and I decided to focus on the Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus. We were attracted to the story because Echo and Narcissus each have what the other needs; Echo lacks the confidence and the ability to speak to Narcissus. On the other hand, Narcissus has too much confidence. The first song is an introduction into the entire story. The second song focuses on Echo's perspective. In the third song, Echo attempts to attract Narcissus' attention, but fails because of her inability to speak and Narcissus' self absorption. The forth song focuses on Narcissus and depicts him withering away as he is riveted to his reflection. The final song is a wordless vocalise, and it represents both characters' inability to speak by the end of their story.
Performers: Liza Sobel Crane (soprano), Natalie Khatibzadeh (piano, songs 1, 3-4) Thomas Hobson Williams (piano, songs 2 and 5)
Vocal Soloist and Ensemble
Skin (2015) orchestrated version for soprano soloist, string orchestra, and percussion
Music by: Liza Sobel Crane
Text by: Richard Scott
Duration: 15 minutes
I originally wrote Skin for soprano and piano while attending the Aldeburgh Festival's English Song Project. I was paired with the poet Richard Scott. During an intensive week, Richard wrote his poems while I composed the music. (Later, I revised and expanded the work.) Richard and I decided to focus on the Greek myth of Echo and Narcissus. We were attracted to the story because Echo and Narcissus each have what the other needs; Echo lacks the confidence and the ability to speak to Narcissus. On the other hand, Narcissus has too much confidence. The New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra commissioned me to orchestrate Skin for string orchestra and percussion. It was challenging to transform a very pianistic work into such a different instrumentation. However, I created many exciting colors with the larger ensemble. I also connected the originally five separate songs into a continuous work with several instrumental interludes between the songs.
Performers: Liza Sobel Crane (soprano soloist), New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra, Mark Hyczko (conductor)
Buzzing and Barely Contained (2012) for soprano and Pierrot Ensemble
Duration: 6 minutes
I wrote Buzzing and Barely Contained for a concert of new compositions inspired by art with the art featured at the concert. I collaborated with the artist Roxanne Yamins to create a synthesis of art and music. Her installation, which is featured as the picture of this track, depicts an electrical generator. The first movement portrays the buzzing of electricity and the dangerous beauty of being near something so powerful. As reflected by the title, “Barely Contained,” the second movement depicts electricity out of control.
Performance begins at 1:35 in recording
Performers: Liza Sobel Crane (soprano), Andrew Sak (flute), Terrance Griswold (clarinets), Jesse Jones (piano), Chris Demetriou (percussion), Sarah Hoag (violin), Stephen Gorgone (viola), Katharine McShane (cello), Patrick Valentino (conductor)
Choir
We are more connected than ever before (2019) for SATB choir
Music by: Liza Sobel Crane
Text collected from social media posts and partially written by Liza Sobel Crane
Duration: 7 minutes
I’ve been fascinated by the research showing the disconnect between people’s social media personas versus reality and how it negatively affects people’s perceptions of their own unfiltered lives. The most striking examples of this disconnect are the seemingly “ordinary” and even positive social media posts that several people posted only a few days (and sometimes even the day of) before committing suicide. These social posts are not suicide notes. In fact, they are the opposite: seemingly ordinary posts on pictures, memories, and memes.
Performers: Bienen Contemporary/Early Vocal Ensemble, Donald Nally (conductor)
Choir and Large Ensemble
Requiem for female choir, soprano soloist, and chamber orchestra (2012)
Duration: 18.5 minutes
Requiem premiered in April 2012, and it won the 2013 American Prize in the choral division. This requiem is in honor of my grandmother, Pauline Westerfeld, who died in December 2011, and my beloved pugs Cody and Wrinkles Sobel, who also passed away the same year.
This requiem has eight movements, and each movement has a different instrumentation. The different instrumentation not only provides timbral variety, but is also meant to enhance the dramatic arch of the piece. The eight movements form two major sections. The first section is a buildup of instruments and tension that consists of Introitus, Kyrie, and Dies Irae. The instrumental Interlude after the Dies Irae transitions to the slower and calmer second half of the piece, which consists of the Lacrimosa, Sanctus, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei.
Performers: Liza Sobel Crane (soprano soloist), Lorraine Fitzmaurice (conductor)