Four Songs Without Words on Poems of Kleist

The Concord Band is honored to present the world premiere of Four Songs Without Words on Poems of Kleist for Concert Band, an original work for concert band by Concord resident Michael Weinstein, who teaches composition at the New England Conservatory and Berklee College of Music. This work was inspired by four poems of German writer Heinrich Kleist. Discussing poety and musical composition, Weinstein writes, “I love poetry and am delighted at finding a good verse or two for a song setting—once I find something I like, it makes the composing easier for me (not as abstract an exercise as writing, say, a sonata or a symphony or concerto). A good poem suggests an immediate form and gives the mood of a composition.” (WGM)