Artists' responses

I am impressed by the response of many artists to the tragedy of 9/11. In purely musical terms, there is John Adams's passionate ON THE TRANSMIGRATION OF SOULS, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic in the wake of the tragedy. (But you know that.)

Our two finest living choreographers, Paul Taylor and Mark Morris, both created works in 2002 which, while not explicitly "9/11 ballets," were clearly influenced by the social and spiritual impact of the attacks on our city. They made interesting choices in music -- pieces which I not only associate with dance masterpieces but also with intense emotional release.

Mark Morris set "V" to Schumann's extraordinary Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44. Both the music and the dance take the audience on an extraordinary emotional journey.

Taylor's "Promethean Fire" (a program note quotes Shakespeare, "Promethean fire, which relumes your light.") is set to Stokowski orchestrations of three Bach pieces: the Toccata and Fugue in D minor, the Prelude in E-flat, and the Chorale Prelude "Wir glauben alle an einem Gott." I have always assumed that when God created the symphony orchestra, he wanted Stoki to use it to prove Bach really did speak for the divine.

I have seen both these works three times in different contexts. They always bring an intense response from the audience: they cry, they cheer, they leap to their feet. They bring us from pain and doubt to joy and celebration.

Harry Mathews