On this page, you can listen to the entire “Gnakamuk” as a whole or to
individual tracks from the CD, with narration in either English or German,
and with computer-generated music.
—
Auf dieser Seite können Sie entweder den ganzen «Gnakamuk»
entweder im Zusammenhang oder auch nur einzelne Tracks von der CD
mit computergenerierter Musik anhören, sowohl auf englisch als auch auf deutsch.
—
English narration / Sprecherin der englischen Fassung: Sandra Goldberg
German narration / Sprecher der deutschen Fassung: Pierre Tissonnier
The videos on this page represent compositions written over a time period of about 20 years,
starting with the most recent and ending with one of my very earliest compositions.
Click on a title below to navigate directly to the corresponding clip:
Press the HOME and END keys at any time to return to the top or the bottom of the page
(you might have to click on an empty area first if the keyboard focus is in a video element).
BILDER aus LICHT: Short compositions for a vernissage by Daniela Zehnder
(Each picture will play a different associated audio or video clip. Click on the large image to start or pause playback, or use the controls on the audio/video element.)
FORBIDDEN GARDEN: A Corona Metamorphosis — Music by Sandra Goldberg (video by Robert Hairgrove)
This past spring, as we were all in Corona lockdown, I began to feel the need to express something that I could only express through music.
It expresses the feelings of being closed in, unable to break out, unable to be close to my friends, the frustrations,
the sadness and pain of what this crisis is causing, but also of the introspection from within and appreciation of the beauty found in the nearby
surroundings — whether a budding rose, a bumbling hedgehog in the garden, or a deer appearing in the woods.
The following composition is a musical kaleidoscope. I started out with an improvisation on my violin.
After playing around with this improvisation, I decided to record it and then transcribe it onto paper. Then I improvised
and composed a second voice to the first melody, then a third, and finally ended up creating a string quintet! I decided to record
each voice and then edit the tracks. Since I could only play the violin and viola parts, my sister Daryl in the USA kindly
recorded the 2 cello parts and sent me her clips. So with my limited skills as a sound engineer, I created “The Forbidden Garden, a Corona Metamorphosis”!
VIOLA CONCERTO in the Classical Style — Music by Sandra Goldberg
After years of listening to countless Stamitz and Hoffmeister viola concertos at auditions I decided
to write my own viola concerto in the classical style. The second and third movements were
performed in 2017 by violist Frauke Tometten Molino and the ZKO in ZKO-Haus for the ZKO-Friends
as part of my retirement present.
Video recording by Andrzej Jankowsi
MY AMERICA, MY AMERICA — for baritone with piano or string ensemble
Both “My America, My America” and “The Ballad of Stanley Q. Mason”
are of a political nature.
The song “My America, My America” was written after Donald Trump was elected president in 2016,
as the USA was in turmoil. Performed by baritone Randal Turner, violinist Sandra Goldberg, and pianist Robert Hairgrove.
The slide shows were created by Kristor Husted.
THE BALLAD OF STANLEY Q. MASON — for baritone with piano or guitar
Both “My America, My America” and “The Ballad of Stanley Q. Mason”
are of a political nature.
“The Ballad of Stanley Q. Mason” was also written in 2016 after
reading various horror stories in the news about children playing with guns,
sung by Randal Turner and accompanied by Sandra Goldberg on piano.
Once again, the slide shows were created by Kristor Husted.
The Ballad of Stanley Q. Mason
There once was a man named Stanley Q. Mason.
He lived in the center of our great nation.
He hunted and fished, he ate steaks and Frenchfries
He had a beautiful wife and two wonderful kids
and he loved to look into their warm loving eyes.
This is the story of Stanley Q. Mason,
a proud member of the Gun Association.
Refrain:
Guns were his passion. guns were his joy,
he loved to show them to his little boy.
Guns were his passion, guns were his joy,
he loved to show them to his little boy.
One day in the life of Stanley Q. Mason,
he and his family were on vacation.
Suitcases unpacked, a gun on the bed...
The kids will be fine with their toys and a puzzle.
“Let’s go for a drink in the bar,” he said.
He was such a proud father, his own sweet creation
Such was the life of Stanley Q. Mason.
They played with their toys and the puzzle was done.
What should we do now? Oh, look there’s a gun!
Stan Junior and Susie climbed onto the bed.
He held up the gun and said “bang, bang you're dead!”
She grabbed for the pistol, ’round the bed she did run.
(You know what will happen, but the song must continue)
He grabbed it back, they were having such fun.
Guns were his passion, guns were his joy,
he loved to show them to his little boy.
Guns were his passion, guns were his joy,
he loved to show them to his little boy.
And where were the parents while the children played?
They finished their cocktails and the bill was paid.
The sun was just setting, it soon would be dusk.
They returned to the room, put the key in the lock,
opened the door and had a terrible shock.
What they saw from the doorway on that fateful day
made grief pierce their hearts — they had to look away.
Little Stan Junior was crouched on the floor.
As tears streamed down his face he sobbed more and more.
Accidents happen and this was the case.
Poor little Susie lay prone on the bed.
Bathed in blood, she’d been shot in the head.
Poor little Susie lay prone on the bed.
Bathed in blood, she’d been shot in the head.
Guns were his passion, guns were his joy,
he loved to show them to his little boy.
Guns were his passion, guns were his joy,
he loved to show them to his little boy.
(A child’s life has a tragic end.
The shock and the grief will be hard to mend
How to go on and live with the guilt?
Gun owners everywhere, What do you say?
Surely there must be some other way.)
This wasn’t the first time, it won’t be the last.
Oh, when will a gun become a relic of the past?
Guns were his passion and guns were his joy,
but guns were not meant to be used as a toy.
Guns were his passion and guns were his joy,
How many more lives must our guns destroy?
This piece was written for violist Pierre Tissonnier in 2015 to celebrate our 30-year anniversary in
the ZKO together and performed for our colleagues at ZKO-Haus with contrabassist Seon-Deok
Baik.
DIAMETRICALLY TOGETHER — Recitations of original poetry by Dorrie Iten-Gilden
and accompanying violin improvisations by Sandra Goldberg. Excerpts from a live performance on Dec. 10, 2010 in Uster,
Switzerland at the restaurant «Zum Hut».
Haikus
— rain on autumn leaf
— small yoga bird
— miracle of moon
— crunch of leaves
— billions of galaxies
— egret poised
Quartet for the Beginning of Time
Just Go Strange
Cuckoo in the Migros
Insights
Text of poems will be shown in this window when the video is playing.
FISHERMAN SONG — Music and words by Sandra Goldberg
Composed July 16, 2003
“Fisherman” began as a poem which I wrote during a summer vacation in Norway.
We stayed at a cabin by the water where Bob went fishing every day.
A song grew out of the poem and I arranged it later for the chamber music
combination on this recording. Unlike the text, Bob did actually catch a little trout there, which we had for dinner.
The original version of the song was for piano and voice.
The present arrangement was written later, in 2007, for the combination
of voice, violin, violoncello and piano to accommodate the combination
of players at our concert given on January 13, 2008 at the ZKO Haus in Zürich.
Live performance of January 13, 2008 in Zürich, Switzerland at the ZKO Haus (House of the Zurich Chamber Orchestra) with:
Carl Hieger, tenor
Sandra Goldberg, violin
Nicola Mosca, violoncello
Robert Hairgrove, piano
(NOTE: The music starts at approx. 45 seconds into the video after the text has finished scrolling.)
This beautiful poem “Window Ships” was written by my brother-in-law, Steve Swank.
He gave me a copy of it and I liked it so much I put it on my bedroom wall.
One day as I looked at the poem, I started to hear a melody. So I sat down at the piano
and began to compose the song “Window Ships”.
(NOTE: The music starts at approx. 25 seconds into the video after the text has been shown.)
