The Expression of the Tragic in the Chamber Cantata Dați-Mi Lampa Lui Aladin [Give Me Aladdin's Lamp] by Dora Cojocaru

Dora Cojocaru is recognized as an outstanding representative of the Cluj school of composition, but also as a strong voice in Romanian musicology. While her musicological output includes books, studies, articles, radio programs, conference papers, master classes and scientific communication sessions, her most important contribution remains the book entitled Creația lui Gyӧrgy Ligeti în contextul stilistic al secolului XX [Gyӧrgy Ligeti's Work in the Stylistic Context of the Twentieth Century], which was the first book about Ligeti that appeared in the Romanian musicological landscape. Dora Cojocaru’s compositional portrait can be drawn by following the language characteristics and compositional devices used in the chamber cantata Dați-mi lampa lui Aladin [Give Me Aladdin's Lamp]. The composer’s work is characterised by a propensity for chamber music. The composer confesses that it is also a consequence of the fact that this genre comes with a plethora of expressive possibilities. In terms of the musical language used by the composer, its first characteristic is the concern to avoid repetition in expression and the variation of an already used musical material. This is strikingly evident in the chamber cantata Dați-mi lampa lui Aladin [Give Me Aladdin's Lamp]. Another peculiarity is the construction based on a developmental discourse, while a third characteristic is the frequent construction of the discourse based on an economy of means and on a musical material consisting of only a few notes. In the case of this cantata, it is essential to note the historical context, which is closely linked to the symbolic title suggesting the composer’s desperate desire to bring her brother back to life, although she is aware that this is only possible by magic. The composer’s choice of lyrics is derived from the fact that Trakl’s and Rilke’s texts allude to the theme of death, which is one of the frequent themes of late Expressionism, and are therefore pervaded by a tragic note, in tune with the composer’s musical intentions. If we follow the text-music relationship, we notice some extremely significant moments, in which music creates sonic images that are suggestive of the message of the text.