Taymor and Haimovitz will also record the work for a CD to be released in September in commemoration of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. A portion of revenue from sales of the CD will be donated to relief efforts.
Aprs Moi, le D_luge has an original text by poet Eleanor Wilner that evokes the story of the Noachian flood and draws on the traditions of American blues.
"Deep in the water," the lyric reads in part, "too deep for tears, what lost chance swims away/through drowned canyons of shanties; what passes, airless, there."
Haimovitz, who is perhaps best known for his series of solo tours in clubs and other non-traditional settings, commissioned Aprs Moi, le D_luge as part of a series called "Buck the Concerto." Each work in the series is initially set for cello and an unconventional ensemble, such as jazz big band, electronic orchestra, or choir; later, it is arranged for symphony orchestra.
