On the Transmigration of Souls

"On the Transmigration of Souls" by John Adams is not easy to hear. The piece is phantomlike, almost haunting, all the voices crying and calling softly in the music that fills everything like a velvet mantle. I heard it today not knowing what I was hearing, which is always the best way to hear a masterpiece because you get to overwhelmed by it when you were least expecting it.

The piece was commissioned by The New York Philharmonic and Lincoln Center’s Great Performers as a memorial to the victims of September 11. It was written in 2002 for for orchestra, chorus, children’s choir and pre-recorded soundtrack. An interview with John Adams concerning this piece can be found here (Amazon).

Jerry Bowles has written "What is important is that Adams has written a difficult, painful and important musical masterpiece that is likely to live beyond the horrific events of 9/ll and remain an important artistic meditation on death and more specifically, violent, unexpected death."  I totally agree. The recording by the New Your Philharmonic won 3 Grammy Awards. Fortunately for us, a tiny bit of it can be heard here!

The texts to the piece are as follows. Except where noted, phrases come from missing persons posters photographed by Barbara Haws:

• "Missing…"
• "Remember me. Please don’t ever forget me."
• "It was a beautiful day."
• "Missing: Jennifer de Jesus.
• "Missing: Manuel Damotta
• "I see water and buildings… "… (Quoted in numerous sources…last words of flight attendant on AA #11)
• "We will miss you.We all love you. I’ll miss you, my brother."
• "Jeff was my uncle"
• "you will never be forgotten
• "Looking for Isaias Rivera."
• "Windows on the World"
• "She looks so full of life in that picture
• "it feels like yesterday that I saw your beautiful face…"
• "I loved him from the start.
• "You will never be forgotten."
• "I miss his gentleness, his intelligence, his loyalty, his love."
• "Shalom"
• "Remember"
• The daughter says: "He was the apple of my father’s eye." (NY Times "Portraits in Grief")
• The father says: "I am so full of grief. My heart is absolutely shattered." (NY Times "Portraits in Grief")
• The young man says"…he was tall, extremely good-looking, and girls never talked to me when he was around." (NY Times "Portraits in Grief")
• The neighbor says: "She had a voice like an angel, and she shared it with everyone, in good times and bad." (NY Times "Portraits in Grief")
• The mother says: "He used to call me every day. I’m just waiting."
• The lover says: "Tomorrow will be three months, yet it feels like yesterday since I saw your beautiful face, saying, ‘Love you to the moon and back, forever.’" (NY Times "Portraits in Grief")
• The man’s wife says: "I loved him from the start…. I wanted to dig him out. I know just where he is." (NY Times "Portraits in Grief")
• "Louis Anthony Williams. One World Trade Center. Port Authority, 66^th Floor. ‘We love you, Louis. Come home"
• "Charlie Murphy. Cantor Fitzgerald. 105^th Floor. Tower One North. Weight : 180 pounds. Height: 5"11". Eye color: hazel Hair color: brown. Date of birth: July ninth, 1963. Please call…’We love you, Chick.’"
• "My sister."
• "My brother."
• "My daughter"
• "My son."
• "Best friend to many…"
• "I love you."

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