This is a great piece if you have a student who is starting out on the piccolo and a student string quartet. The tune is simple with a straightforward accompaniment but there is something very quirky about the way Kats-Chernin writes which turns the ordinary into the special. This will be a winner with everyone!
The piece is part of the ballet Wild Swans, choreographed by Meryl Tankard at the Sydney Opera House in 2002, based on the fairy tale The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen. Originally scored for soprano and orchestra, Eliza Aria introduces Princess Elisa and expresses her pure soul, innocence and belief in the goodness of the world: Without saying a word, she must weave stinging nettles into cloth to save her enchanted brothers. The short, enchanting vocalise is perhaps Elena Kats-Chernin's best-known creation and went around the world as music in a promotional video on YouTube. It is now available in numerous versions for different instruments and instrumentations.
Please note that the video is the version for piccolo and piano - available here.
Performance duration (approx): 3'00
