At first, Regina Spektor’s All the Rowboats seems to describe what happens at a museum after the patrons have left. Paintings and artifacts are secured under lock and key, protected in frames and glass cases. Then, as the lights are finally turned off, the tone shifts and the museum is now a tomb, a mausoleum and a prison. The lyrics suggest that, even as we declare these works masterpieces, we ensure their long, slow fade to obscurity.
Spektor’s original arrangement is dark and brooding, while still maintaining the suggested elegance of the locked-up artwork. The sung version is incredibly effective, but would be sparse and thin if directly translated to the string orchestra. The inspiration for the Sphere arrangement was found in the lyrics at the end of the second and third verses:
But the most special
Are the most lonely
God I pity the violins
In glass cases
They keep coughing
They’ve forgotten
Forgotten how to sing, how to sing.
At the second bridge, each instrument takes a turn playing a piece from the solo repertoire. After a few measures, they begin to repeat what they have already played as if forgetting how the tune ends, fading to a soft murmur as the next instrument begins. Most of the pieces have been altered in some way to fit the dark harmonies, the most striking being the melody of the third movement of Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. Usually bouncing and joyous, transposing Mendelssohn’s melody transforms it into a maniacal caper, unceasing until Spektor’s original bass line cuts through the texture and the verse returns.
All the Rowboats represents Sphere’s belief that art, in any form, should be shared with everyone; that art can be, and should be, transcendent; but that art also can be, and should be, taken off the shelf and played with a little. Sphere believes that by exploring our art -- and maybe getting it a little dirty -- we demonstrate new appreciation for its beauty, its genius, and its worth.
Sphere Ensemble was formed in 2011 by professional string players driven to explore the vast potential of the string
ensemble. Sphere’s programs include masterpieces of string orchestra repertoire and exceptional works from all genres to create a new definition of modern performance. Innovative arrangements are written by group members generating a unique and transformative musical experience....more
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