A chat with the composer...

Have you ever wondered what a composer was thinking when creating a great piece of music? Thankfully, I had the opportunity to work with composer Ingrid Stölzel (https://ingridstolzel.com/). Ingrid is a colleague of mine at the University of Kansas and has an incredible output of beautiful music. I have always enjoyed her vocal music and wanted to include her on this album of women composers. Ingrid graciously helped produce this piece, spending two afternoons with me and Marika as we rehearsed, refined, and recorded this song.

Enjoy this interview with Ingrid as we chat about her new piece "Life is a Stream".

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Courtney Fletcher: How do you start writing a piece of music? What is your process?

Ingrid Stölzel: I’m fortunate that, as a composer, I always have several commissions lined up, so the next piece I write is usually predetermined in terms of its instrumentation and duration. In general, I like to vary the instrumentation, moving between large ensembles and smaller chamber groups. Whenever possible, I also alternate between instrumental and vocal works. It helps keep my creative process fresh.

I do most of my composing in my studio at the piano, but inspiration can strike anywhere. For me, it often happens while I’m out walking in nature. I used to capture those moments by quickly writing the idea down, but now I love using my phone to record myself singing it into a voice memo. Later, I return to the piano and develop it further.

CF: What do you look for in poetry? Are you inspired by the text alone, or do you consider instrumentation as well? Why did you choose "Petals" by Amy Lowell for your source material?

IS: I usually know right away when I read a poem whether there is something I can contribute musically that might illuminate or elevate what is already there. It’s hard to describe exactly what that is; it’s more of a feeling or an intuition than something I can clearly point to or explain.

When I work with singers, I collaborate with them on selecting the poetry. I feel strongly that the message of the poem has to resonate with both of us, and thankfully that was the case with Amy Lowell’s Petals. The first time I read her words, musical ideas immediately began to emerge, and I jotted down a few notes on the poem so I would remember them if I ever had the opportunity to compose a stand-alone art song. I’m so grateful I was able to set this beautiful text for your song, Life Is a Stream.

Courtney, Ingrid, and Marika recording "Life is a Stream" at the University of Kansas.

CF: For "Life is a Stream", what was your inspiration for the piano and vocal lines? What should audiences listen for? 

IS: Amy Lowell’s Petals imagines life as a stream, carrying off the small, beautiful offerings of our hearts—hopes, joys, intentions—one by one. In setting this text, I wanted the music to follow the gentle motion of the poem, beginning with a sense of openness, simplicity and flow. As the petals are described as “freighted with hope” and “crimsoned with joy,” the music grows more expansive, reflecting the emotional richness of what is offered to the world. The poem ends for me with a quiet sense of comfort: even when what we have offered is gone, something of it remains. The song lingers in that idea, like a memory or a scent in the air, holding onto what cannot be kept but is not entirely lost. It’s a powerful message that I hope to support and elevate musically.

CF: Do you have any other comments about having your piece premiered on this album?

IS: Working with you and Marika on this recording was a wonderful, collaborative experience. It was also a special new experience for me to record a song first before its public premiere in concert, and I’m excited to share the fruits of our collaboration this fall.

I think Amy Lowell should have the last word here, as her poem serves as the emotional heart of this project.

Petals by Amy Lowell

Life is a stream

On which we strew

Petal by petal the flower of our heart;

The end lost in dream,

They float past our view,

We only watch their glad, early start.

Freighted with hope,

Crimsoned with joy,

We scatter the leaves of our opening rose;

Their widening scope,

Their distant employ,

We never shall know. And the stream as it flows

Sweeps them away,

Each one is gone

Ever beyond into infinite ways.

We alone stay

While years hurry on,

The flower fared forth, though its fragrance still stays.

This poem is in the public domain.