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    The Cello Museum > Articles > Articles > NYWC November 2024 Spotlight: Marilyn Bliss

NYWC November 2024 Spotlight: Marilyn Bliss

13 November 2024
We are excited to continue our collaboration with the New York Women Composers (NYWC). This month, we present a piece by Marilyn Bliss.
Marilyn Bliss

Marilyn Bliss. Photo courtesy Marilyn Bliss.

Bio and other notes from Marilyn Bliss:

“Inspired by the beauty of nature, world culture, art, and literature, the music of Marilyn Bliss brings a breath of fresh air into any concert program. Her inspirations range from the paintings of Morris Louis and Piero di Cosimo, to Hindu, Native American, Greek, Chinese, Afghan, Celtic, French, German, and British literature and myths, to natural phenomena such as the aurora borealis and the flights of birds. A flutist herself, she has had special renown as the composer of works for the flute family, including piccolo, alto flute, Native American flute, and flute ensembles. Ms. Bliss studied at Coe College, at the University of Pennsylvania with renowned composers George Crumb and George Rochberg, and was a composition fellow at the Berkshire School of Music, Tanglewood.

Several of Ms. Bliss’s recent scores have featured the Native American flute, both as a solo instrument and in combination with other instruments. Ms. Bliss is currently President of New York Women Composers. Her music has been performed throughout the world; she has been a guest of the SS. Cyril and Methodius Foundation in Sofia, Bulgaria, and of the Fechin Institute in Taos, New Mexico. Her works have also recently been performed in Spain, Germany, the UK, Russia, Italy, and Armenia, a country which she has visited and received performances several times. Ms. Bliss is published by the American Composers Alliance and Mostly Marimba Productions, and her music has been recorded on several labels, most recently with Navona Records.” – Marilyn Bliss

Featured Work: Blue Dawn for Native American flute (or flute) and cello

COMPOSITION DETAILS

  • Title: Blue Dawn
  • Composer: Marilyn Bliss
  • Year of Composition: 1998
  • Instrumentation: Native American flute (or flute) and cello. It has also been performed with recorder.
  • Movements: 1
  • Duration of Work: 4 minutes
  • Number of Measures: 57
  • Number of pages: Score is 6 pages including the title page; cello part is 2 pages
  • Tempo: Moderate, but varying
  • Difficulty Level: musically advanced/professional, but technically could be studied by an intermediate cellist
  • Techniques Employed: pizzicato; legato; double stops; harmonic; grace notes; grace notes leading into double stops; triplets; syncopation; tempo changes; bass and treble clefs
  • Publisher: American Composers Alliance (ACA)
  • Where to Purchase the Score: ACA website
  • Cost of Score*: $12.50

Recording

Program Notes

“Blue Dawn” is a mellow, cheerful piece celebrating the fresh air and big sky of the High Plains region of the United States. Originally written for Native American flute, and thus based on the natural pentatonic scale of that instrument, the visual image for the listener can be of awaking before dawn and watching the sun rise from one’s dwelling in the wilderness, gradually illuminating the landscape and bringing out its natural colors and beauty.  The challenging cello part can be heard as an ever-flowing stream, pausing only for the flute’s cadenza at the close of the piece. “Blue Dawn” is one of my most popular pieces and is always a favorite with audiences.”  – Marilyn Bliss

Marilyn Bliss’s Other Work with a Prominent Cello Part

  • “Beneath the Azure Sky” – for soprano, flute, violin, and cello
  • “Autumnal” – for flute, clarinet, cello, and piano
  • “Chameleon” – for flute, cello, and piano

How to Follow, Support, and Contact Marilyn Bliss

A Collaboration with the New York Women Composers (NYWC)

The NYWC series at the Cello Museum was created to showcase its members who have composed various pieces for cello, informing cellists seeking new music to add to their repertoire, and helping listeners find new favorites. Many thanks to the NYWC for this wonderful collaboration.

Read other installments in the series here.

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Author

Curator, Brenda Neece Author

Cello Museum founder and curator, Dr. Brenda Neece is a cellist and a researcher specializing in the history of the cello. Before starting The Cello Museum in 2019, she worked as a freelancer and served for just over a decade as a musical instrument museum curator. Her major cello teachers were Rochelle Kidd, Fred Raimi, Martha Gerschefski, and William Pleeth. Her academic mentors were Jon Finson, Marilyn Gombosi, Hélène La Rue, Ferdinand J. de Hen, and Jeremy Montagu.