For boy soprano or soprano and piano
Dance of David
for Boy Soprano or Soprano and Piano
A compact song for boy soprano or soprano and piano, setting Russian text by Arseny Tarkovsky.
Text
Arseny Tarkovsky. Russian text, with English translation by Lera Auerbach.
Premiere
14 July 2001. Lockenhaus · Yulia Korpacheva, soprano · Lera Auerbach, piano.
Form
Song. A brief vocal work centered on the image of David dancing before the tabernacle.
Structure
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Dance of David
Song for boy soprano or soprano and piano.
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Text
Arseny Tarkovsky, in Russian.
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Duration
Approximately 2 minutes.
Work Information
Abbreviations PDF
Poem
Пляшет перед звездами звезда
Original Russian
Пляшет перед звездами звезда, Пляшет колокольчиком вода, Пляшет шмель и в дудочку дудит, Пляшет перед скинией Давид.
Плачет птица об одном крыле, Плачет погорелей на золе, Плачет мать над люлькою пустой, Плачет крепкий камень под пятой.
English Translation
The star is dancing for the other stars, The water is dancing with the flower-bell, The bee is dancing and playing the flute, David is dancing in front of the tabernacle.
The bird is crying having lost one wing, The man is crying on the ashes of his house, The mother is crying with the empty cradle, The rock is crying underfoot.
English translation by Lera Auerbach
Listen
Educational listening access to Dance of David for soprano and piano.
The Work
Dance of David is a brief vocal work for boy soprano or soprano and piano. The setting draws on a Russian poem by Arseny Tarkovsky, moving between dance and lament in two sharply balanced images.
The poem’s opening turns the world into motion: star, water, bee, and David all dance. The second half reverses the atmosphere into grief, where bird, man, mother, and stone are marked by loss.
- Form Song.
- Language Russian.
- Forces Boy soprano or soprano and piano.
Context
Written in 2000, Dance of David belongs to Auerbach’s songs for voice and piano on Russian poetic texts. Its first documented performance took place at Lockenhaus in 2001, with Yulia Korpacheva as soprano and Lera Auerbach at the piano.
The work is listed by Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski as available for sale.
Online Materials
Public links related to Dance of David. Verified materials currently include publisher, purchase, educational listening, and catalogue-reference listings.
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Audioleraauerbach.com
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PublisherBoosey & Hawkes / Sikorski Boosey & Hawkes
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ScorePurchase Score Boosey & Hawkes
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ReferenceAuerbach Work Catalogue Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski
Publisher and Materials
Published by Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski. The score is available through the official Boosey & Hawkes / Sikorski purchase page.
