of light and stone — symphony orchestra: 2 2[1.2/Eh] 2 2, 4231, tmp+1 [tri, sd, bd], str (2025)
Commissioned by the New York Philharmonic with the generous support of Elizabeth & Justus Schlichting, duration 15’
Lanzilotti’s symphonic work, of light and stone, is an experiment of melodies passing each other in the night, a resounding documentation of love and admiration for the lāhui. The piece draws inspiration from the lives and compositions of Nā Lani ʻEhā, or “the heavenly four”—King Kalākaua, Queen Liliʻuokalani, Princess Likelike, and Prince Leleiōhoku—who were all composers and contributed extensively to both preserving cultural traditions and encouraging innovation.
The first movement evokes the grandeur of ʻIolani Palace. Built in 1882 by King Kalākaua, it represented the modernity and strength of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi as an equal partner on the international stage. The second movement opens with foreboding sounds of loss: a ship’s bell signaling the death of Kalākaua, the lonely echoes of a young Prince Leleiōhoku (referencing his song “Moani Ke Ala” in the muted strings). Taking the place of a traditional scherzo, instead, the third movement is a dance of wind, calling forth the melody of one of Likelike’s few compositions, “Kuʻu ipo i ka heʻe puʻe one.”
The final movement centers most of its material around Queen Liliʻuokalani’s “Ke Aloha O Ka Haku.” Initially heard in the harmonics of the first movement under the fanfare, we now hear the strings braid the sound in bright, warm colors. The movement ends with a quiet meditation on a harmonic shift in Liliʻuokalani’s “Mele Lāhui Hawaiʻi,” in which Liliʻuokalani adjusts the Hawaiian national motto slightly, “e mau ke ea o ka ʻāina, o kou pono mau / mana nui,” or “the life of the land is perpetuated in your excellence / great energy.” Perhaps Liliʻuokalani is not just referencing those in leadership, but “you” who sing this, you who hear this, you in the community who carry your culture—your home—forward.
// Press for of light and stone
“a luminous new piece” — Alex Ross, The New Yorker
“[Lanzilotti]’s using a vast palette of orchestration to evoke a mystical landscape. Cloudy chords, meditative tintinnabulation, the whoosh of wind and rain, blocks of iridescent brass — all these discrete sonorities trundled by, like a train of boxcars with panoramas painted on their sides. The somber atmospherics and satisfying weightiness allowed Dudamel to show off his new ensemble’s soloists and sections, which have prepped for his arrival by burnishing their sonic gold.” — Justin Davidson, Vulture, New York Magazine
“natural beauty . . . vividly articulated” — Fred Cohn, Musical America
“creates an atmosphere of . . . hope in shimmering ripples of sound” — Seen and Heard International
“sublime . . . This was marvelous, gorgeous, and expressive.” — New York Classical Review
“There was much to admire, and to be moved by: the softly glowing fanfare; the mournful solos for clarinet and English horn; the horn articulations like distant ocean sprays; above all, at the end . . . the gorgeous chords.” — The New York Times
“As the brass chords from Hawai’i Pono’ī . . . resound throughout David Geffen Hall, I think about the four of us Native folks scattered throughout. . . . The audience is riveted. . . . The sounds weave in and out around each other, and you can texturally feel the harmonics mimic the movements one’s hands take to braid a lei. I am most taken by the way [Lanzilotti] concludes her piece . . . in humility and gentleness, with a tenderhearted, quiet, dignified and exalted display of sovereignty.” — Renata Yazzie, “THE NEW YORK PHIL-HÓZHǪ́”
Past Performances
September 11, 12, 13, and 16, 2025 — of light and stone, World Premiere, Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic, David Geffen Hall in Lincoln Center, New York, NY