Matthew Rowan - Composer

2010 --
for baritone,
piano trio

I’m going to take some aspirin now. Make sure you take lots of pictures and send me some more postcards – and if you don’t get this, I’ll try to remember and tell you everything when you come back – if I remember – if any of it matters at all – or if any of it seems at all interesting to you, after you’ve been in Europe for six weeks!

Text from The Voyage to Europe
copyright © 1995 Paul Attinello.

We walk inside huge jewels, ropes of
white tourmalines, square-faceted;
we straggle, silent, lonely, lost –

The varied forms of faces thaw
from fears or sudden loves, melt with
unwelcome passions, freeze again;

Then, waiting in black fields of chairs,
we dream of those we nearly knew:
we breathe the sun, we feel the air.

Airports (Rilke’s Last Flight)
copyright © 1993 Paul Attinello.

They crossed the borders step by step,
miles won toward safer lands, and miles
away from home. They offered prayers,
original in style, to all
the muses and the rebel arts,
in hope of reaching safety...

Text from The exodus: XII The Last Wave
copyright © 1995 Paul Attinello.