| Ancient Voices of Children | |
|---|---|
| Song cycle by George Crumb | |
| Text | poems by Federico García Lorca |
| Language | Spanish |
| Composed | 1970 |
| Performed | October 31, 1970: Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. |
| Movements | 5 |
| Scoring |
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Ancient Voices of Children is a musical composition written in 1970 by the American composer George Crumb, and is subtitled "A cycle of songs on texts by Federico García Lorca".
It is scored for soprano, boy soprano, oboe, mandolin, harp, amplified piano (and toy piano), and percussion (three players). It was commissioned by the Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge Foundation.
The piece premiered at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on October 31, 1970, as part of the Coolidge Foundation's 14th Festival of Chamber Music. The first performers were the Contemporary Chamber Ensemble, which featured Gilbert Kalish (piano), Jan DeGaetani (mezzo-soprano), and Michael Dash (boy soprano).[1]
The debut recording, produced by Nonesuch Records in 1971, features the same performers as the premiere performance. This release sold more than 70,000 units;[2] and has become one of the best selling[citation needed] recordings in 20th century classical music.