{"id":3497,"date":"2018-08-23T17:51:27","date_gmt":"2018-08-23T17:51:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/alzand.com\/?page_id=3497"},"modified":"2026-02-03T09:56:12","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T14:56:12","slug":"karim-al-zand-music-songs-from-the-post-truth-era","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/alzand.com\/?page_id=3497","title":{"rendered":"Karim Al-Zand: Music: Songs from the Post-Truth Era"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Songs from the Post-Truth Era<\/h2>\n

for soprano & bassoon<\/h4>\n

Facts are a feeble match for belief. Emotion trumps observation.
\nLie and truth are transposable, reason and fellow-feeling abandoned. Words careen through the air, cleaved from their meaning,
\nsimply sounds in the void.
\nIt is a post-truth era.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

S<\/span>ongs from the Post-Truth Era<\/i> is a short song cycle based on a poem about telling the truth: \u201cIncorrect Speaking\u201d by Charles Lamb, a didactic verse taken from his 1809 collection Poems for Children<\/i>. Lamb\u2019s poem is \"\"<\/a>used as the first song\u2019s text. I derive the text for the following two songs as \u201cvocabularyclept<\/a>\u201d poems, a technique that preserves all the words from an original poem, but rearranges their order and syntax. The new poems, \u201cThe Charm of Anna\u201d and \u201cThe Supply of Flies,\u201d generate unexpected, humorous and contradictory meanings\u2014and eventually produce no meaning at all. Songs from the Post_Truth Era<\/i> was written for Pushback Collective<\/a> (Ally Smither<\/a>, soprano; Ben Roidl-Ward<\/a>, bassoon).<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

Incorrect Speaking<\/strong><\/p>\n

Incorrectness in your speech
\nCarefully avoid, my Anna;
\nStudy well the sense of each
\nSentence, lest in any manner
\nIt misrepresent the truth;
\nVeracity\u2019s the charm of youth.<\/p>\n

You will not, I know, tell lies,
\nIf you know what you are speaking.
\nTruth is shy, and from us flies;
\nUnless diligently seeking
\nInto every word we pry,
\nFalsehood will her place supply.<\/p>\n

Falsehood is not shy, not she\u2014
\nEver ready to take place of
\nTruth, too oft we Falsehood see,
\nOr at least some latent trace of
\nFalsehood, in the incorrect
\nWords of those who Truth respect.<\/p>\n

\u2014Charles Lamb<\/em>
\nfrom Poetry for Children (1809)<\/em><\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

The Charm of Anna<\/strong><\/p>\n

Unless we are seeking to pry the truth
\nFrom my words of youth,
\nCarefully avoid the charm of Anna:
\nShe is not shy, not shy in any manner.<\/p>\n

If you study well your speech,
\nAnd diligently misrepresent into each
\nSentence, lest it supply
\nThe what, will, who and know,
\nIncorrectness will take Veracity\u2019s place\u2014you see?
\nIn her place, we sense, flies some latent trace of oft.<\/p>\n

Speaking of Truth:
\nIn truth, every word of those you respect is
\nFalsehood, Falsehood, Falsehood, Falsehood!
\n(Or is at least incorrect.)<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

The Supply of Flies<\/strong><\/p>\n

Take carefully each speech
\nPry every sense from my sentence<\/p>\n

Speaking, seeking
\nOf youth, of truth,
\nOr of lies\u2014
\nWe will ready the supply of flies!<\/p>\n

I, you, my, we
\nStudy your veracity\u2019s
\nYou see?
\nIncorrectness<\/p>\n

if, of, oft
\nthe will, the well, the words<\/p>\n

We respect, incorrect
\nTruth, shy, truth
\n(Place into you-know-who)
\nFalsehood, shy, falsehood<\/p>\n

it us, in lest, at least, in some
\nnot word, what know, those are<\/p>\n

Not to avoid charm
\nTruth is she any?
\nUnless in latent her manner too diligently is\u2026<\/p>\n

Of truth tell not ever
\nAnna<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

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purchase score & parts<\/span><\/h4> <\/span>Learn More<\/span><\/a> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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DATE<\/br>2018<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

DURATION<\/br>6 minutes<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

INSTRUMENTATION<\/br>soprano (E34\u2013C#6*), bassoon<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

COMMISSION<\/br>Pushback Collective, with funds from Illinois Arts Council<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

PREMI\u00c8RE<\/br>September 9, 2018, Archway Gallery, Houston TX
\nPushback Collective
\nAlly Smither, soprano; Ben Roidl-Ward, bassoon<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

SONGS<\/br>1. Incorrect Speaking
\n2. The Charms of Anna
\n3. The Supply of Flies<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

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AUDIO
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<\/div><\/div><\/div> MP3<\/br><\/br><\/p>\n
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SCORE
\nPDF<\/a><\/br><\/br><\/p>\n

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SCORE + RECORDING VIDEO<\/p>\n