Commissioned by the Women's Musical Club of Toronto. Premiered by Michael Bridge (accordion), Kornel Wolak (clarinet) and Amahl Arulanandam (cello) in November 2020.

Lekking Birds

This voice recording was sent to me by Iryna Danyleiko on March 2, 2022, as the air raid siren was ringing in Chernivtsi, Ukraine

Air raid siren in Chernivtsi, Ukraine

Midnight. The start of curfew. The city is silent except for the sound of air raid sirens.

Kyiv Air Raid Siren at Midnight (March 23, 2023)

This is a recording of the tornado alarm in Russell, Kansas which I made in July 2018. This alarm gets tested every Monday at noon.

The cover photo is a statue by Trudy Furney located in the main park in Russell.

Tornado Alarm in Russell, Kansas

Piano trio (violin, cello, piano)
Performed by the Chamber Musicians of Kamloops (http://www.chambermusiciansofkamloops.org/)
Annette Dominik (violin), Martin Kratky (cello) and Naomi Cloutier (piano)

Toss a flower on the water

Anna Pidgorna (voice)
So Percussion Quartet

Premiered in May 2015 as part of the Princeton Sound Kitchen series at Princeton University.

This work draws on the now rare rural Ukrainian tradition of mourning songs, half-chanted, half-cried laments sung by women at funerals and over grave sites. They consist of small melodic cells, which expand and contract to fit varying phrases of text. For the content, the singer seems to borrow commonly used formulas filling in her own specific details to describe her loved one, the manner of his or her death, her own reaction to it, and the realities and fears of life without this person. The overall effect is both devastatingly emotional and meditative at the same time. 

I discovered this tradition through archival recordings while doing fieldwork in Ukraine in the fall of 2012. Mesmerized by its sonic qualities and emotional power, I first explored it in Weeping, a work for six instruments commissioned and premiered by New Music Concerts in Toronto. Unable to leave this haunting world, I now draw and expand on its melodic and poetic formulas to mourn the death of a romantic relationship rather than a person. The vocal line is only roughly notated to allow room for ornamentation, and basic rhythmic and melodic freedom. 

Photo by Brutally Beautiful (bebrutallybeautiful.ca)

Weeping for a dead love

Performed by Trio Chimera in September 2015 at the Princeton Sound Kitchen series

Like Doves With Grey Wings Embracing

This work was commissioned and premiered by Toronto's New Music Concerts. This is an excerpt from the premiere performance.

Weeping (excerpt)

This piece was inspired by a play of light on a wall that I once observed during a rather boring lecture in university. The light was coming through cracks and holes on top of a heavy curtain, which was swaying slightly in the wind. The motion of the curtain produced mesmerizing light patterns on the wall behind the lecturer. This work was written for and premiered by the German accordionist Olivia Steimel. 

Instrumentation: solo free-bass accordion

This piece represented Canad at the ISCM World New Music Days 2013.

Image taken from: http://www.alansmithgraphicdesigner.com/office_art_designs/Light_Play.html

Light-play through curtain holes

Annika Socolofsky and Anna Pidgorna, voice
Mark Eichenberger, drum
Min-Young Kim and Anna Lim, violins
Jessica Thompson, viola
Alberto Parrini, cello

Poetry and music by Anna Pidgorna

The Mint Picker's Man

This piece for solo cello was inspired by Carl Jung's archetype of the Child, which appears in myriad myths and stories. The Child is born in unusual circumstances, as if from Mother Nature herself. He finds himself alone and struggles against darkness within and around him to bring light into the world. While composing this piece, I was also contemplating the idea of childhood itself, that magical state of existence where each little adventure takes on epic proportions. 
This piece was written for and performed by Paul Dwyer (pauldwyer.net)

The image is "Figure with rays of light" by Lawren Harris. 

The child, bringer of light

The idea for The Unanswered was inspired by an image encountered, or only imagined, in Ukrainian folk poetry. In this repertoire, where every bird, beast and plant has a meaning outside itself, the guelder rose (kalyna) represents love, often the tragic kind. It grows over lonely hilltop graves, its blood-red berries dripping to the ground, its leaves rustling in the wind whispering incoherent answers to the unanswerable questions of the grieving beloved. 

Instrumentation: flute, oboe, clarinet in Bb, bassoon, horn in F, percussion, two violins, viola, cello, bass

Commissioned by the National Arts Centre. 

The Unanswered

Setting of Rainer Maria Rilke's poem "Liebes-Lied" for mezzo soprano and viola. Performed by Rochelle Ellis, soprano, and Michael Davis, viola.

Liebeslied

Performed by Halyna Honcharenko, Iryna Danylejko and Anna Pidgorna
Text by Anna Pidgorna

“Вcтавай, вставай, Галю, геть вже тобі спати!
Ой, виходь же, Галю, в поле жито жати.”

А в Марусі коси русяві 
Як пшиниця жовтісінькая.
А я їх же розплєтаю, 
Плече білі тай накрию, 
Нєжно розчесаю. 

“Ой пійдемо, Галю, в бору погуляти,
Ой пора же, Галю, калину збирати.”

А в Марусі губи солодкі
Як калинонька примержшая.
А я тую калиноньку,
Візму тай паламаю,
Тай розчавлю ягоди червоні,
Губи жарко поцєлую. 

“Ой, пійдемо, Галю, в ставу одяг прати,
Ой, пійдемо, Галю, пісні поспівати.”

А в Марусі оче ясниє 
Як зірочки в ставу.
А білизна в водє чорній,
Білі руки, білі ноги, 
Білі плече, білі грудє…
А я в ставок тихо зайду 
Тай в глибині втону."


“Get up, get up, Halya, that's enough sleep for you!
Come out, come out, Halya, to reap rye in the field.”

But Marusya's blondish locks are
Like the yellowest wheat.
I will unbraid them, 
And covering her white shoulders, 
Gently comb them. 

“Let's go, Halya, for a walk in the pine-woods,
It's time, Halya, to gather the guelder rose.”

But Marusya's lips are as sweet
As the frost-nipped guelder rose.*
I will take the guelder rose,
Take it and break it,
Crush the red berries,
And kiss her lips hotly. 

“Let's go, Halya, to the pond to do the washing.
Let's go, Halya, let's sing some songs.”

But Marusya's eyes are  
As bright as the little stars in the pond.
And the linens in the black water,
White arms, white legs, 
White shoulders, white breasts...
I will walk into the pond softly 
And drown in the depth.

Drown in the depth (trio)

Text: Anonymous
Music: Anna Pidgorna

Soprano: Anna Devin
Piano: John Hess

This work was commissioned by the Irish Art Song Project. Scores, recordings and Irish language resources are available free of charge at: https://www.cmc.ie/AmhrainEalaineGhaeilge

When keening at the wake of her dead husband, a woman was often judged by his relatives on how well she lamented his passing and how she observed all the proper rituals. The author of this lament is not even trying to hide her glee at the passing of her abusive and 
miserly husband, only occasionally drawing on the properly sentimental endearments expected of her. Angela Bourke, the editor of "The Field Day Anthology" (vol. 4) from where this text came, posits that this keen was composed as a joke for men’s amusement. Having heard some strangely hilarious stories from women taking out years of pent up rage against husbands who were, in their old age, too ill to continue abusing them, I suspect there is a great deal of truth to this joke.  

The text comes from: 

Caoine Magaidh (Sliocht) / A Joking Lament (Excerpt). Ní fios cé a chum / Unknown author.    
As/From: Journal of the Irish Folk Song Society (1922). 
Reprinted in The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, vol. IV (2002) 

Tionscadal na nAmhrán Ealaíne Gaeilge 2019 / Irish Art Song Project 2019

Free

Amhráin Chaointe / Keening Songs: III. Caoine Magaidh / A Joking Lament

Text: Mother of Diarmaid MacCarthy (1860)
Music: Anna Pidgorna

Soprano: Anna Devin
Piano: John Hess

This work was commissioned by the Irish Art Song Project. Scores, recordings and Irish language resources are available free of charge at: www.cmc.ie/AmhrainEalaineGhaeilge

The lament composed by the mother of Dhiarmaid Mac Cárthaigh of Ráth (her name was not recorded) on the occasion of Dhiarmaid's death in 1860, includes also a lament for her daughter Máire, who was severely abused by her husband Maití Sín na Circe. It was common for a keener to lament others within a keen composed for a particular departed person, and to criticize those who wronged her or her loved ones. It is unclear in what context the mother discovered the marks on her daughter’s body – whether in childbirth, illness or death – but she curses her son-in-law for his abuse.

The text comes from:

Caoine ar Dhiarmaid Mac Cárthaigh ó Ráth Dubháín, a bhí ‘na Cheannuighe Ime i gCorcaigh (Sliocht)A Lament for Diarmaid MacCarthy of Ráth Dubháin, Who Was a Butter-Merchant in Cork (Excerpt)    
From: ÉIGSE, The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, vol. IV (2002)

Amhráin Chaointe / Keening Songs: II. Caoineadh na Máthar dá hIníon / A Mother's Lament

Text: Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill (1773)
Music: Anna Pidgorna

Soprano: Anna Devin
Piano: John Hess

This work was commissioned by the Irish Art Song Project. Scores, recordings and Irish language resources are available free of charge at: www.cmc.ie/AmhrainEalaineGhaeilge

This song is a setting of excerpts from the most famous of Irish laments, composed by Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill’s (Eileen the Dark O’Connell) upon the death of her young husband Art Ó Laoghaire (Art O’Leary) in 1773. Eileen was honest in her assessment of their marital life. She thought him very handsome and a good lover, and found him generous and loving towards her and their children. He had a temper, however, which she had to navigate and deflect as women have generally been expected to do in patriarchal societies.

The text comes from:

Tórramh-Chaoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire / Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill (Sliocht) The Funeral Lament for Art Ó Laoghaire / Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill (Excerpt)
As/From: Ferriter ms No. 1, University College Dublin, The Field Day Anthology of Irish Writing, vol. IV (2002)

Amhráin Chaointe / Keening Songs: I. Caoineadh Eibhlín / Eileen's Lament

Bridal Train -for flute, violin, accordion and piano - is inspired by a Ukrainian folksong from the wedding rite, and likens the rhythmic motion of the song to the sound of an accelerating train. 

Commissioned and premiered by the Thin Edge New Music Collective (http://www.thethinedgenewmusiccollective.com)
Solomiya Moroz, flute 
Ilana Waniuk, violin 
Olivia Steimel, accordion
Cheryl Duvall, piano


Bridal train

Anna Pidgorna (b. 1985) is a composer and media artist who combines her interests in sonic objects, visual art and writing to create works that are dramatic and picturesque. She works in both the acoustic and electronic realms, and is quickly rising on the contemporary music scene. Her mini-opera for voice and electronics, "Mirror, mirror," was premiered by Janice Jackson at Halifax's Oscillations Festival in February 2012. "Light-play through curtain holes" for solo accordion was recently included in ISCM Canadian Section's official submission to World New Music Days 2013. Pidgorna was born in Ukraine and is heavily influenced by her heritage. Ukrainian folk themes appear as bird song in her first orchestral work, "Tintamarre," and form the backbone of her second chamber opera, "On the Eve of Ivan Kupalo." Ms. Pidgorna completed her undergraduate studies at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick in 2007 and is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Calgary. This year she will be participating in a prestigious workshop with Kaija Saariaho and Anssi Karttunen at Carnegie Hall, and the National Art Centre's Composers Program in Ottawa. Days.

Anna Pidgorna

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