He was a major contributor to the string quartet music, performed by Kronos Quartet, in the film Requiem for a Dream (2000). In 1999 he collaborated with composers Julia Wolfe and Michael Gordon, and librettist/illustrator Ben Katchor, in the the "comic strip opera" The Carbon Copy Building. The production won an Obie Award for Best New American Production. In 2008 Lang won the Pulitzer Prize for music for his Little Match Girl Passion. Based on the story by Hans Christian Anderson and taking its structure from the passions of Bach, the piece was written for Theatre of Voices and Paul Hillier.
"David Lang" is also the name of a character in a commonly cited vanishing hoax. In this story, first printed in Fate Magazine in 1953 by journalist Stuart Palmer, a man named "David Lang" was walking across a field on September 23, 1880 when he vanished mid-step and in full view of others. The article was later determined be a hoax inspired by a short story published in 1909 by Ambrose Bierce. In 1999, the composer David Lang based his opera "The Difficulty of Crossing a Field" on this Bierce story . [1]
Lang holds degrees from Stanford University, the University of Iowa, and Yale University (DMA, 1989). His teachers have included Richard Hervig, Jacob Druckman, Hans Werner Henze, and Martin Bresnick.
Lang's music has been released on the Argo/Decca, BMG, Cantaloupe Music, Chandos, CRI, Point, and Sony Classical labels. His scores are published by Red Poppy Music (available from G. Schirmer, Inc.)
His notable students include Kevin Puts.
Death Speaks: No. 3. Mist is rising
David Lang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
moon is full and rising
sky above us
it is so full
I greet you, sister soul
rise up, like an eagle
rise up, to where the light is
I am your rest, I am your peace
I am what you long for, and
what makes the longing go away
I am full of joy for you, and
I am full of grief
come in and close the door behind you
I will drive your sadnesses away
my eyes fill with your light
fill them
fill them
sweetest child
come with me
I will play with you
I will show you
the flowers and the shore
my motherʼs golden robe
my daughters and their evening dance
they know a song to sing while you are sleeping
I love you
I love all of you
I love your face
I love your form
please donʼt make me make you follow me
come and see
tears of love become strands of pearls
when the angel comes
In David Lang's song "Death Speaks: No. 3", the mist rising and the moon full and rising create a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The song is speaking from the perspective of Death, or a character embodying Death, who is addressing a soul, possibly a deceased person. Death speaks to the soul, addressing them as "sister soul", and offering peace and comfort. Death portrays themselves as both joyful and full of grief. The song then transitions to a more comforting and peaceful tone, with Death inviting the soul to come with them and showing them beautiful sights such as flowers, the shore, and golden robes. Death expresses love for the soul, and acknowledges the pain and suffering of love with the line "tears of love become strands of pearls when the angel comes."
Line by Line Meaning
mist is rising
The fog is starting to appear
moon is full and rising
The moon is bright and becoming more visible
sky above us
The ceiling of the world is stretching infinitely above us
it is so full
It is packed with stars and mysteries
I greet you, sister soul
I welcome you, my soul mate
rise up, like an eagle
Rise up, high and mighty like a bird of prey
rise up, to where the light is
Head towards the source of illumination
rise up, to where the light is from
Direct your focus towards the origin of the light
I am your rest, I am your peace
I am your sanctuary and tranquility
I am what you long for, and
I am the object of your desire
what makes the longing go away
The source that diminishes your craving
I am full of joy for you, and
I am replete with jubilation for you
I am full of grief
I am also brimming with sorrow
come in and close the door behind you
Step in and shut the entrance tightly
I will drive your sadnesses away
I shall expel your melancholy
my eyes fill with your light
My pupils are consumed by your radiance
fill them
Saturate them to the brim
sweetest child
Dearest and most innocent offspring
come with me
Accompany me
I will play with you
I would partake in frolic with you
I will show you
I would demonstrate to you
the flowers and the shore
The blossoms and the seashore
my motherʼs golden robe
The gilded apparel of my maternal parent
my daughters and their evening dance
My offspring and their twilight choreography
they know a song to sing while you are sleeping
They have the knowledge to sing a lullaby when you snooze
I love you
I cherish you
I love all of you
I cherish every aspect of you
I love your face
I cherish the sight of your countenance
I love your form
I cherish your physical composition
please donʼt make me make you follow me
Do not compel me to force you to accompany me
come and see
Join and witness
tears of love become strands of pearls
Symbols of adoration turn into glistening beads
when the angel comes
At the arrival of a divine emissary
Contributed by Camden N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.