American Art Songs Vocal

University of Iowa

Iowa Research Online Theses and Dissertations

Summer 2011

The new American song: a catalog of published songs by 25 living American composers Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker University of Iowa

Copyright 2011 Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1265 Recommended Citation Snydacker, Sarah Elizabeth. "The new American song: a catalog of published songs by 25 living American composers." PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) thesis, University of Iowa, 2011. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1265.

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THE NEW AMERICAN SONG: A CATALOG OF PUBLISHED SONGS BY 25 LIVING AMERICAN COMPOSERS

by Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker

An Abstract Of a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa

May 2011

Thesis Supervisor: Associate Professor John Muriello

1 ABSTRACT The purpose of this dissertation is to create a catalog of the published, solo vocal songs of 25 living American composers. Through this project, visibility will be given to a significant amount of contemporary literature that is currently unknown and / or underused by many singers and voice teachers today. Exposure to the literature in this project will encourage singers and teachers to give deserving attention to a wealth of contemporary American song literature, and will help to stimulate the study, practice and performance of other contemporary songs and composers. I have selected 25 living American composers. The composers represent a variety of compositional styles, and the songs vary in level of difficulty. The songs chosen are examined based upon criterion for vocal study at the collegiate level, and the entire repertoire is appropriate for traditional classical vocal training. Many of these composers’ songs are readily available in public and collegiate libraries across the country. There are some composers, however, whose songs are currently not available in libraries, but are deserving of attention. The unpublished songs of the selected composers are not included because the purpose of this project is to increase accessibility. The composers for this dissertation include: Dominick Argento, Daniel Asia, Robert Baksa, Seymour Barab, Jack Beeson, William Bolcom, John Bucchino, Tom Cipullo, John Corigliano, John Frantzen, Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler, Ricky Ian Gordon, Daron Hagen, John Harbison, Jack Heggie, Lee Hoiby, Richard Hundley, Anne Kilstofte, Lori Laitman, Libby Larsen, John Musto, Thomas Pasatieri, Andre Previn, Gene Scheer, and Richard Pearson Thomas. The body of the dissertation consists of a brief biography of the individual

2 composers followed by analyses of the composers’ music. Each published song is analyzed according to a set of criterion for vocal study at the collegiate level. The annotations include: title, poet, publisher and date, dedication, vocal range, tessitura, recommended voice type, level of difficulty of the vocal and piano accompaniment, possible uses, brief musical and textual description, and other pertinent information for the study and performance of the music. This dissertation will encourage the study, practice and performance of contemporary American music. The annotated catalog will include vital information for the quick selection of songs, and the information I compile will be invaluable to singers and voice teachers searching for contemporary American literature. The composers included in this project will also benefit from the exposure of their work. There are, of course, many more composers whose songs are deserving of inclusion in this project. Annotated catalogs of larger scope or of differing perspectives should be created as further study. Abstract Approved:

________________________________________________ Thesis Supervisor

________________________________________________ Title and Department

________________________________________________ Date

THE NEW AMERICAN SONG: A CATALOG OF PUBLISHED SONGS BY 25 LIVING AMERICAN COMPOSERS

by Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music in the Graduate College of The University of Iowa

May 2011

Thesis Supervisor: Associate Professor John Muriello

Copyright by SARAH ELIZABETH SNYDACKER 2011 All Rights Reserved

Graduate College The University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa

CERTIFICATE OF APPROVAL ___________________________ PH.D. THESIS ____________ This is to certify that the Ph.D. thesis of

Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker

has been approved by the Examining Committee for the thesis requirement for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music at the May 2011 graduation.

Thesis Committee:

______________________________________________________ John Muriello, Thesis Supervisor ______________________________________________________ Katherine Eberle ______________________________________________________ Susan Sondrol Jones ______________________________________________________ Alan Huckleberry ______________________________________________________ Alice Davison

To my parents for believing in me.

ii

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION

1

The Project and its Scholarly Significance The Selection of Composers The Selection of Literature The Composers Methodology Range Designation Determining Vocal Difficulty Guidelines for an easy vocal part Guidelines for a moderate vocal part Guidelines for a moderately difficult vocal part Guidelines for a difficult vocal part Guidelines for a highly difficult vocal part Determining Accompanimental Difficulty Guidelines for an easy accompaniment Guidelines for a moderate accompaniment Guidelines for a moderately difficult accompaniment Guidelines for a difficult accompaniment Guidelines for a highly difficult accompaniment II. DOMINICK ARGENTO

1 1 2 2 3 4 4 6 6 7 7 7 8 9 9 9 10 10 11

Biography and Style Song Annotations

11 12

III. DANIEL ASIA

22

Biography and Style Song Annotations

22 23

IV. ROBERT BAKSA

30

Biography and Style Song Annotations

30 31

V. SEYMOUR BARAB

45

Biography and Style Song Annotations

45 46

VI. JACK BEESON

59 iii

Biography and Style Song Annotations

59 60

VII. WILLIAM BOLCOM

72

Biography and Style Song Annotations

72 73

VIII. JOHN BUCCHINO

91

Biography and Style Song Annotations

91 92

IX. TOM CIPULLO

96

Biography and Style Song Annotations

96 97

X. JOHN CORIGLIANO

110

Biography and Style Song Annotations

110 111

XI. JOHN FRANTZEN

116

Biography and Style Song Annotations

116 117

XII. ZINA GOLDRICH

119

Biography and Style Song Annotations

119 121

XIII. RICKY IAN GORDON

133

Biography and Style Song Annotations

133 135

XIV. DARON HAGEN

156

Biography and Style Song Annotations

156 157

XV. JOHN HARBISON

182

Biography and Style

182 iv

Song Annotations

183

XVI. JAKE HEGGIE

198

Biography and Style Song Annotations

198 199

XVII. LEE HOIBY

218

Biography and Style Song Annotations

218 219

XVIII. RICHARD HUNDLEY

242

Biography and Style Song Annotations

242 243

XIX. ANNE KILSTOFTE

251

Biography and Style Song Annotations

251 252

XX. LORI LAITMAN

255

Biography and Style Song Annotations

255 256

XXI. LIBBY LARSEN

282

Biography and Style Song Annotations

282 284

XXII. JOHN MUSTO

298

Biography and Style Song Annotations

298 299

XXIII. THOMAS PASATIERI

313

Biography and Style Song Annotations

313 314

XXIV. ANDRÉ PREVIN

336

Biography and Style Song Annotations

336 337 v

XXV. GENE SCHEER

342

Biography and Style Song Annotations

342 343

XXVI. RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS Biography and Style Song Annotations

346 346 347

XXVII. OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER STUDY

363

APPENDIX A. PUBLISHED SONG LITERATURE

365

BIBLIOGRAPHY

433

vi

1 CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION

The Project and its Scholarly Significance The purpose of this project is to create a catalog of the published, songs for solo voice and piano of 25 living American composers. Exposure to the literature in this project will encourage singers and teachers to give deserving attention to a wealth of contemporary American song literature, and will help to stimulate the study, practice and performance of other contemporary songs and composers.

The Selection of Composers I have selected 25 living (as of May 2009, at the beginning of this project) American composers.12 The composers were chosen based on a set of criterion. The composers are all American citizens. Each composer has created a body of solo vocal literature. Although there is a wide variety of size in the bodies of repertoire among the 25 composers, their song repertoire represents a significant part of their output and represents a clear definition of their compositional style. All included composers have a personal website, are featured on the website of a publisher, or are members of the American Composers’ Forum. Because of the number of worthy, living American composers who fit the criterion, the selection was also subjective to a large degree.

1

Jack Beeson died June 6, 2010.

2

Lee Hoiby died March 28, 2011

2 The Selection of Literature The repertoire of the selected composers represents a variety of compositional styles, and the songs vary in level of difficulty. The songs chosen were examined based upon criterion for vocal study at the collegiate level, and the entire body of repertoire is appropriate for traditional classical vocal training. This study includes only solo vocal literature with piano accompaniment. However, I have included songs with orchestral reductions (noted in the annotations) when the reduction is considered the standard performance version. Literature currently out of print is not included in this project. The unpublished songs of the selected composers are not included because the purpose of this project is to increase accessibility. Many of the composers’ songs are readily available in public and collegiate libraries across the country. There are several composers, however, whose songs are currently not available in libraries, but are deserving of attention. I have been in contact with all 25 composers or their publishers, and many have offered assistance with the music that is not available in the interlibrary system. The song annotations are organized chronologically by published date.

The Composers The composers for this dissertation include: Dominick Argento

Daniel Asia

Robert Baksa

Seymour Barab

Jack Beeson

William Bolcom

John Bucchino

Tom Cipullo

3 John Corigliano

John Frantzen

Zina Goldrich and Marcy Heisler

Ricky Ian Gordon

Daron Hagen

John Harbison

Jake Heggie

Lee Hoiby

Richard Hundley

Anne Kilstofte

Lori Laitman

Libby Larsen

John Musto

Thomas Pasatieri

Andre Previn

Gene Scheer

Richard Pearson Thomas

Methodology To provide a context for the included repertoire, a biographical sketch is included for each of the 25 composers. These biographies are based on information gathered in printed and published sources, the composers’ websites, and interviews and written correspondence with the composers and their publishers. Immediately following the biographical sketch, an overall description of the composer’s style is discussed. General characteristics of each composer’s musical style, treatment of texts, interactions between piano and voice, and other identifiable elements within the composer’s song output are listed. The catalog of the composers’ songs includes an annotated entry for each song, including the following information where applicable: Title

Poet

Publisher and date of publication

Dedication (when applicable)

4 Range of vocal line

Tessitura

Recommended voice type

Level of difficulty of voice part

Level of difficulty of piano part

Possible uses

Brief musical and / or textual description

Special considerations of the song

Other pertinent information for the song

Range Designation The range of each song is described using a pitch and octave designation. Middle C on a keyboard is designated c1.3 The subsequent octaves above are written as c2, c3, and so forth. The octave below is designated c, and two octaves below is written C.

Determining Vocal Difficulty Vocal difficulty in each song is designated as easy, moderate, moderately difficult, difficult or highly difficult. The designations, determined through guidelines found in the sources below, are made based on the technical and dramatic demands of the song for the singer. When having qualities from more than one designation, I have made a judgment on the level of difficulty of the song. Sources: Bickel, Jan. Contemporary art song: an annotated bibliography of selected song literature appropriate for the undergraduate and master’s level mezzosoprano voice. Dissertation. The American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, 1992.

3

Aldwell, Edward and Schachter, Carl. Harmony and Voice Leading. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace, 1989: 7.

5 Carman, Judith Elaine. “The Song Cycle in the United States: 1900-1970, Part I.” NATS Bulletin 33, no 1 (1976). Carman, Judith E., William K. Gaeddert, and Rita M. Resch. Art Song in the United States 1801-1976: An Annotated Bibliography. Publication of the National Association of Teachers of Singing, University of Iowa Press, 1976. Friedberg, Ruth. American Art Song and American Poetry, Vol. 1. London: The Scarecrow Press, 1981. ________. American Art Song and American Poetry, Vol. 2. London: The Scarecrow Press, 1984. ________. American Art Song and American Poetry, Vol. 3. London: The Scarecrow Press, 1987. Hardenbergh, Esther Jane. The solo vocal repertoire of Richard Hundley: A pedagogical and performance guide to the published works. Dissertation. Columbia University Teachers College, 1997. McKinney, James C. The Diagnosis and Correction of Vocal Faults. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press, Inc, 1994. Miller, Richard. Solutions for Singers. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. ________. On the Art of Singing. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. Nova, Christian. If you enliven it, they will come: Turning the classical vocal recital on its ear. Dissertation. University of California, 2005. Park, Ji-Yeon. Mid-Twentieth Century British and American Song Compositions Written For the Soprano Voice. Dissertation. University of Maryland,

6 2003. Ware, Clifton. Basics of Vocal Pedagogy. Boston: McGraw Hill, 1998. Weiss, Thomas J. The current state of American art song: The necessity for an updated anthology. Dissertation. University of Wisconsin, 2007.

Guidelines for an easy vocal part 1) limited range, no more than an octave 2) moderate tessitura, generally in the middle of any voice type’s range 3) highest pitches of a song not approached through intervallic leaps 4) short, regular phrases, usually spanning no more than 4 measures 5) phrases contoured with highest pitches in the middle or beginning, not at the end 6) simple rhythms and meters 7) vocal line is tonal and is often doubled in accompaniment 8) songs generally remain in one dramatic frame of mind

Guidelines for a moderate vocal part 1) range covers slightly more than an octave 2) tessitura is high with some sustained high pitches 3) highest pitches may be approached through diatonic intervallic leaps 4) phrases are generally 4-6 measures and may be irregular 5) phrases may end on highest pitches 6) complex rhythmic units and shifting meters 7) melody is primarily tonal and is not doubled in the accompaniment 8) intense dramatic angles

7 Guidelines for a moderately difficult vocal part 1) range covers up to 2 octaves 2) tessitura is high 3) highest pitches may be approached through dissonant intervallic leaps 4) phrases are irregular in length 5) may contain chromatic passages 6) many shifts in dynamics, articulations and meters 7) melody is tonal and is independent from the piano 8) intense dramatic angles

Guidelines for a difficult vocal part 1) range covers 2 octaves 2) tessitura remains high 3) highest pitches may come at any point in a phrase and may be approached in any manner 4) phrases are extensive and require stamina 5) tonality may be blurred or absent 6) complex rhythms, shifting meters and unusual intervals 7) independence of vocal line from accompaniment 8) highly attuned acting skills necessary

Guidelines for a highly difficult vocal part 1) range covers more than 2 octaves

8 2) tessitura is high or shifts 3) highest pitches are exposed in the texture and approached in any manner 4) phrases are irregular in shape and length 5) atonal 6) complex rhythms, meters and articulations with many shifts 7) voice is rhythmically and melodically independent from piano 8) mature subject matter

Determining Accompanimental Difficulty The accompaniment of each song is also designated easy, moderate or difficult. The designations are made based on evaluations of the song regarding technical requirements for the pianist. When having qualities from more than one designation, I have made a judgment on the level of difficulty of the accompaniment. The guidelines for each category are determined through criterion found in the sources listed below. Sources: Bickel, Jan. Contemporary art song: an annotated bibliography of selected song literature appropriate for the undergraduate and master’s level mezzosoprano voice. Dissertation. The American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, 1992. Carman, Judith Elaine. “The Song Cycle in the United States: 1900-1970, Part I.” NATS Bulletin 33, no 1 (1976). Hardenbergh, Esther Jane. The Solo Vocal Repertoire of Richard Hundley: A Pedagogical And Performance Guide to the Published Works.

9 Dissertation. Columbia University Teachers College, 1997. Nova, Christian. If you enliven it, they will come: Turning the classical vocal recital on its ear. Dissertation. University of California, 2005. Uszler, Marienne, Stewart Gordon, and Elyse Mach. Well-Tempered Keyboard Teacher. New York: Schirmer, 1991.

Guidelines for an easy accompaniment 1) remains generally in a 5-finger pattern 2) simple rhythms and consistent dynamics, tempo, and texture throughout 3) hands are not independent and share melodic and rhythmic patterns 4) range within a 1-octave span 5) simple harmonic progressions with slow harmonic rhythm

Guidelines for a moderate accompaniment 1) triad figures limited to one hand 2) shifting among hand positions 3) variety of tempi, dynamics and textures 4) blocked chords 5) range within a 2-octave span

Guidelines for a moderately difficult accompaniment 1) triad figures in both hands 2) regularly shifts hand positions 3) complexities in tempi, dynamics and textures

10 4) contrast of dynamics and articulations between hands 5) hands are independent of each other

Guidelines for a difficult accompaniment 1) chordal figures with more than 3 notes 2) 3 or more independent voices 3) complexities and rapid changes in tempi, dynamics and textures 4) shifts in hand positions and spacings 5) complex harmonies and quick harmonic rhythm

Guidelines for a highly difficult accompaniment 1) extended chords 2) multiple independent voices 3) dense textures and extreme tempi and dynamics 4) highly chromatic, atonal or pitch-centric 5) contrast of dynamics and articulations within one hand

11 CHAPTER II DOMINICK ARGENTO

Biography and Style Dominick Argento was born in 1927 in Pennsylvania, but has spent the majority of his life in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Peabody Conservatory, where he studied with Henry Cowell. He earned his Ph.D. from the Eastman School of Music, studying with Alan Hovhaness and Howard Hanson. Argento was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and a Guggenheim Fellowship, which enabled him to study in Italy with Luigi Dallapiccola. In 1958, Argento joined the faculty at the University of Minnesota. He taught at the University of Minnesota until 1997, and now he is a Professor Emeritus. Singer, Carolyn Bailey, is his wife. Although he writes primarily vocal music, he composes in a wide variety of genres. He is considered to be the leading composer of lyric opera in America, having composed 13 operas to date. Argento’s operas have been performed in major opera houses across the United States, and nearly all of his operas have had performances in Europe. His operas have also been broadcast on the PBS series, Great Performances. Argento composed the majority of his song cycles in the 1970s and 1980s. Argento received the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1975 for his song cycle, From the Diary of Virginia Woolf. In 2004, he received a Grammy Award for “Best Classical Contemporary Composition” for the cycle Casa Guidi, sung by Frederica von Stade. Argento has received many commissions from significant organizations, including the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Civic Orchestra of Minneapolis, and the

12 Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis. In 1979 he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 1997 Argento was named the Composer Laureate to the Minnesota Orchestra. The Lotte Lehmann Foundation awarded Argento with the World of Song Award in 2006. Argento’s style is neo-Romantic. He uses compositional devices that are uniquely suited to the text. Argento favors diary entries and letters for texts. The writing is lyrical, richly melodic and closely married to the natural text inflections. Argento matches the drama of the text with musical intensity through shifting dynamics, articulations, and textures. He uses complex rhythms and frequent changes of tempi and meters to create music sensitive to the prose. The formal structure and harmonic progressions are informed by the text. Argento’s music is steeped in tonality, although he does utilize atonality and the twelve-tone technique more than sparingly. His harmonies create lustrous coloring between the vocal and piano parts. The colorful accompaniments sound much like orchestral reductions because of the layers of complexity. Argento’s vocal melodies have soaring phrases with arching contours.

Song Annotations Six Elizabethan Songs. Published in 1970 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Nicholas DiVirgilio. Originally for high voice and piano. 1. Spring. Text by Thomas Nash. Range: e-flat1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. The accompaniment supports the voice well, doubling the voice at places. The vocal lines are very lyrical. Articulations,

13 phrases and dynamics are well indicated. 2. Sleep. Text by Samuel Daniel. Range: e-flat1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. Shifting meters occur regularly. The tempo is lentamente. There are many triplet figures in the accompaniment against straight rhythms in the voice. 3. Winter. Text by William Shakespeare. Range: e1 – a21. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. There is much text painting of the winter scene. 4. Dirge. Text by William Shakespeare. Range: e1 – e2. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano part is moderately difficult. Texture is very thin and the tempo is slow, creating a simple, transparent sound. 5. Diaphenia. Text by Henry Constable. Range: f-sharp1 – g2. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. Many dissonances occur between vocal and piano parts. 6. Hymn. Text by Ben Jonson. Range: d-sharp1 – g-sharp2. Tessitura varies from low to high. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. There are many instances of shifting meters, varying dynamics and articulations and blurred tonality.

From the Diary of Virginia Woolf. Texts are excerpts from Virginia Woolf’s diaries. Published in 1975 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Janet Baker. Recommended for mezzo-soprano voice. Diary entries range from 1919 to 1941, just before Woolf’s suicide. The songs should be sung as a cycle.

14 1. The Diary (April, 1919). Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal line creates a 12-tone row in this song. Rhythms match speech inflections, and there are many romantic gestures in the vocal and piano parts. 2. Anxiety (October, 1920). Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal part is difficult, due to technical and dramatic demands of the singer. The accompaniment is difficult. The text is about anxiety and vast mood swings. The music illustrates this in dynamics and articulations. 3. Fancy (February, 1927). Range: c1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate in difficulty. The accompaniment is difficult. Vocal line is sustained over the active accompaniment. The song is short and is filled with shifts in mood and tempo. 4. Hardy’s Funeral (January 1928). Range: c-sharp1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. Melismas occur on emphasized words. There is a piano prelude with a slow, sparse texture. Both piano and vocal parts grow in tension created through harmonies, rising pitches and quick rhythmic units. The end of the song is much like the sustained beginning. 5. Rome (May, 1935). Range: c1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. The accompaniment is filled with tremolos, and the voice has sustained lyrical phrases above. Ensemble is a challenge in this song. The text is full of fleeting images. 6. War (June, 1940). Range: a – g-sharp2. Tessitura is expansive. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. The accompaniment consists of single pitches

15 repeated for several measures on 32nd note triplets. The vocal line is independent of the accompaniment and requires excellent pitch memory. Tonality is blurred. The text is about war and death. 7. Parents (December, 1940). Range: c1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. Complex rhythms in both parts create difficulty in ensemble. Tonality is blurred in many places, but romantic harmonies and gestures add familiarity to the song. The tempo is slow, but there are very quick rhythms throughout. The text is about how grounded her parents are and her longing for that sense in her own life. The dichotomy between the two sets of lives is created well with the rhythmic and harmonic tension in the music. 8. Last Entry (March, 1941). Range: d1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderate throughout. Vocal part is highly difficult. Piano part is difficult. The text has many repeated words and rhythms, which are set to repeated melodic and harmonic ideas. The repeated idioms illustrate the attempt to retain sanity that is present in the text. Much tension is created with the dynamics, rising pitches, and rhythmic dissonance between the piano and vocal parts.

Songs About Spring. Texts by e.e.cummings. Published in 1980 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Carolyn Bailey. Five songs for soprano. Originally with piano accompaniment, later orchestrated. 1. who knows if the moon’s a balloon. Range: e1-a2. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is highly difficult. Accompaniment is difficult. There are lyrical passages and the

16 text setting illuminates the test. Tonality is blurred throughout the song, requiring strong pitch memory of the singer. 2. spring is like a perhaps hand. Range: d1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. The song is short and is marked larghetto. There is no strong sense of tonality. There are lengthy vocal phrases, and many of the vocal phrases begin on high pitches and descend over the course of the phrase. The accompaniment has embedded melodies. 3. in just-spring. Range: d1 – c3. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is highly difficult. Piano part is highly difficult. There is no strong sense of tonality, although there are lyrical, melodious sections. The vocal line is disjunct, and the tempo is quick. The accompaniment doubles the vocal part in places, but also has many dissonances with the vocal part. 4. in spring Comes. Range: c-sharp1 – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. The piano has a single line that is played as a quasi echo of the vocal part throughout. The vocal line is disjunct with difficult intervals to execute. The piano accompaniment does not support the vocal line. 5. when faces called flowers float out of the ground. Range: d1 – b2. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is highly difficult. Piano part is difficult. The tempo is that of a waltz. At times the piano and vocal melodies seem tonal, while others are atonal. There is a strong lyrical, romantic sense throughout. Repeated b2s require much stamina in the soprano. Casa Guidi. Texts from letters by Elizabeth Barrett Browning to her sister, Henrietta. Published in 1984 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Frederica von Stade. For

17 mezzo-soprano voice. Originally for voice and orchestra, but reduced to piano, which is primarily performed. Should be performed as a cycle. 1. Casa Guidi. Range: b – a2. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. Very lyrical vocal line with accompaniment to match. The accompaniment provides support, but ensemble is difficult to create. Colorful, romantic harmonies. 2. The Italian Cook and the English Maid. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is wide. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. There are many large leaps in the vocal line, and there are many quick, repeated pitches in the piano. The text is a humorous depiction of arguments between the cook and maid. There are many words, and challenging diction on high pitches. 3. Robert Browning. Range: b – a-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. This song was created using the 12-tone system4. The rows are lyrical and are supported with romantic harmonies, but require excellent pitch memory in the singer. The text is about a deep love that requires an emotionally mature singer. 4. The Death of Mr. Barrett. Range: c1 – g2. Tessitura is wide. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. The accompaniment is not technically demanding, but is difficult to play as an ensemble. The right hand plays a repeated 2-bar melody throughout. The vocal line is disjunct without much support from the piano. The text is on the death of Barrett Browning’s estranged

4

“Music based on a serial ordering of all twelve chromatic pitches.” Don Michael Randel, ed., The Harvard Dictionary of Music, Fourth Edition (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 2003), 926.

18 father. 5. Domesticity. Range: d-flat1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. The piano has many running 16th notes, and the voice has a long, lyrical melody. The main melody of the first song returns at the end of this song. The text is full of domestic pictures of everyday life, which requires a maternal interpretation.

The Andrée Exposition. Texts adapted from letters and journals by Salomon Andree and Nils Strindberg. Published in 1987 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Hakan Hagegard. For baritone voice. This is a true account of 3 Swedes attempting to be the first to reach the North Pole. Texts are for mature singers. The cycle begins with optimistic texts, which gradually become less hopeful until the final realization of imminent death. Songs should be performed as a cycle. In the Air 1. Prologue (Fraenkel). Range: c – f-sharp1. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal part is difficult. Accompaniment is moderate. The accompaniment is sparse and thin, leaving the vocal line very exposed. Much like recitative. 2. The Balloon Rises (Strindberg: Letter to Anna). Range: c-sharp – f1. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is difficult. Blurred tonality throughout. Many difficult intervals to sing. The voice has speech-like rhythms. 3. Pride and Ambition (Andree: First Journal). Range: c-sharp – f1. Tessitura is high. Vocal part and accompaniment are difficult. Many shifts in meter, dynamics, tempo, and mood. Rhythmic ideas and melodic phrases illuminate the

19 declamatory text. 4. Dinner Aloft (Strindberg: Letter to Anna). Range: d – f-sharp1. Tessitura is high. Piano and vocal parts are difficult. Portions of the text are in French. The accompaniment provides a thick texture, which is not helpful in terms of pitch to the vocal line. 5. The Unforeseen Problem (Fraenkel). Range: B-flat – f1. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Text is set syllabically. Piano texture is expansive with dissonances as harmonies. There is much text, none of which is repeated. Atonal. 6. The Flight Aborted (Andree: First Journal). Range: B – f-sharp1. Tessitura is high. Vocal part and accompaniment are highly difficult. Both piano and voice become more complicated throughout the first 6 songs. Difficult rhythmic units, absent tonality, large intervallic leaps, thick textures. On the Ice 7. Mishap with a Sledge (Strindberg: Letter to Anna). Range: B – f1. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The accompaniment is sparse, much as in the beginning of Part I. 8. The King’s Jubilee (Andree: First Journal). Range: d – f1. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are highly difficult. The text is highly declamatory with rapid, changing rhythmic units to fit the text. The piano begins the song with a lengthy prelude containing very thick harmonies. Several lines of text in Swedish. 9. Illness and Drugs (Fraenkel). Range: A-sharp – f1. Tessitura is moderately

20 high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. This is the first text that is filled with doom and fear. The piano texture is sparse. 10. Hallucinations (Andree: First Journal). Range: c-sharp – g1. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Vocal part has slower declamatory rhythms than in previous songs. The accompaniment vies for importance with the vocal line. The piano illustrates the images presented in the text. 11. Anna’s Birthday (Strindberg: Letter to Anna). Range: c – g-flat1. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Repeated quarter-note triplets in the voice and piano give musical weight to the psychologically weighted text. A wide range of dynamics is utilized in both the piano and voice. The text is a love letter that speaks of the imminent death of the explorers. 12. Epilogue (Fraenkel). Range: B – g1. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are highly difficult. The text is very painful and introspective, telling of two deaths with the writer’s own to follow. There is much text painting. There are dissonant harmonies with romantic gestures. 13. Final Words (Andree: Second Journal). Range: e – e1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. This song is short and slow. The accompaniment has a repeated bass pattern, like an ostinato. The voice has fragmented melodies, which match the fragmented text. The text illustrates the natural images the 3 men faced in their demise.

Miss Manners on Music. Text from newspaper articles by Judith Martin (Miss Manners). Published in 1998 by Boosey and Hawkes. For mezzo-soprano (or soprano)

21 and piano. 1. Prologue. Range: c1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Tonality is blurred throughout; the singer must have excellent pitch memory. Much of the song is quasi- recitative. 2. Manners at a Concert. Range: b – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are highly difficult. Tonality is vacant in places. There are shifting meters and intricate rhythms, particularly in the vocal line. The text is humorous. 3. Manners at the Ballet. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The harmonies are lush, and the melodic lines in the piano and voice are lyrical with difficult rhythmic units. 4. Manners for Contemporary Music. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. There is a lack of tonality and strong pulse. The rhythms in the voice match the word inflection well. 5. Manners at a Church Recital. Range: a – g2. Tessitura is changeable throughout. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Accompaniment is sparse. The vocal line requires good pitch memory. There are many shifts in tempo. 6. Manners at the Opera. Range: a – a-flat2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. There is a piano prelude and postlude. There are recitative and aria-like sections for the voice. The text and music show humor towards Italianate opera. The song is lengthy and requires stamina. 7. Envoi. Range: c1 – g-flat2. Tessitura moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The text is humorous. The song has complicated rhythms and blurred tonality in a quasi-recitative style.

22 CHAPTER III DANIEL ASIA

Biography and Style Daniel Asia was born in 1953 in Seattle, Washington. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Hampshire College and his Master’s degree from the Yale School of Music. Asia is equally at home composing and teaching. Asia taught and conducted at Oberlin Conservatory. Currently, he is the head of the composition department at the University of Arizona. Asia’s orchestral and chamber works have been commissioned and performed by renowned artists across the United States, Europe and Asia. His work includes five symphonies, concerti for piano and cello, two song-cycles, and many single movement works for various instruments, as well as an extensive collection of chamber music. The numerous awards, grants and fellowships received during his career include a Meet the Composer Commission, a United Kingdom Fulbright Arts Award Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, four National Endowment for the Arts Composers Grants, a Rockefeller Grant, an Aaron Copland Fund for Music Grant, MacDowell Colony and Tanglewood Fellowships, and several other prizes. Asia served as the Meet the Composer / Composer in Residence with the Phoenix Symphony from 1991-1994. Asia is a 2010 recipient of an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Asia’s works may be heard on Summit and New World Records. Theodore Presser Company publishes Asia’s music. Stanton Consulting and Management of Astoria, New York represent him as a composer and conductor. Asia and his wife live in

23 Tucson with their three children. Asia’s compositional style encompasses a combination of post-tonal and impressionistic ideas. His songs are generally difficult for singers, and moderately difficult for pianists. The piano and vocal parts are highly independent of each other, and complex rhythms and shifting meters add to the complexities of Asia’s song repertoire. Asia’s songs have minimalistic5 qualities. The textures are often thin and transparent, and the material in the voice and piano is highly repetitious with little development, giving them a minimalist sound. Asia favors religious texts – primarily Jewish, and the overall mood of the text is portrayed in the musical setting. Asia’s songs are highly philosophical and spiritual, requiring mature performers.

Song Annotations Breath in a Ram’s Horn (Songs for My Father). Texts by Paul Pines. Published in 1998 by Theodore Presser. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Written for tenor voice and piano. The songs should be sung as a cycle. 1. What Do We Know. Range: c – f1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Accompaniment is moderate. The text is about fathers abandoning sons. The accompaniment is minimalistic, with repeated eighth note melodic ideas. The melody is disjunct, containing difficult intervals to sing. The song is atonal. 2. Old Medals, Prayer Shawls. Range: d – g1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano is moderate. The text is about religious persecution. The

5

“…involving repeition of short musical motifs in a simple harmonic idiom.” Michael Kennedy, Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 480.

24 accompaniment is very sparse and lends little help to the singer. The singer must have excellent pitch memory. The vocal melody is lyrical, but very disjunct. 3. Job Longed for the Grave. Range: a – g1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The text is religious; it is not romantic, but full of strife. The accompaniment is minimalistic in pitch and rhythmic content throughout. The vocal line is declamatory and does not share the minimalistic quality of the piano. Speech inflection matches the rhythmic inflection. 4. Yom Kippur. Range: e – g1. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. There are more romantic gestures in this, the longest song of the cycle, in melodic phrases, dynamics, articulations, and dramatic development through key changes. The running eighth notes makes for easy ensemble. 5. My Father’s Name Was… Range: B – g1. Tessitura is low. The vocal line is difficult. The accompaniment is difficult. There are groups of 3 against groups of 5 rhythmic units in the piano. The vocal line is atonal with many large intervals in quick succession.

An e. e. cummings songbook. Texts by e. e. cummings. Published in 2001 by Theodore Presser. Commissioned by Paul Sperry. Written for tenor (or soprano) and piano. The songs should be sung as a cycle. 1. quick i the death. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The piano is full of quick rhythmic gestures, and the voice has more lyrical melodies with large intervals. There are many metrical shifts throughout.

25 2. luminous tendril. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The tempo is moderate, but with many moving eighth and sixteenth notes. There are many metrical shifts and changes of mood. There are many words in the text, and the text is set syllabically. Diction may pose a problem on the higher pitches. 3. hair you’re a brook. Range: f1- d2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The piano has running sixteenth notes to depict the text about flowing hair. The piano does not aid the singer in finding pitches, but enters many times on the singer’s pitch once the note has been sung. A short, lyrical song. 4. three wealthy sisters. Range: e1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The piano has many block chords with moving eighth notes interspersed. The piano does support and aid the vocalist. A very lively song. 5. feather rain. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is moderate. The piano comments upon what the singer has said, and it never accompanies the singer. The singer must navigate large leaps, primarily ascending in pitch. 6. i'm asking. Range: d-flat1 – g2. Tessitura is low. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The piano has minimalistic material. The voice is less minimalistic. There are many meter shifts and changing articulations. The song is highly rhythmic. 7. when faces called flowers. Range: g1 – a2. Tessitura is high. The vocal and

26 piano parts are moderately difficult. There is a strong sense of tonality in this song. The piano has very sparse, blocked chords for most of the song, and the vocal part has many moving eighth notes. There are many words in the three verses of the song, and the text is set completely syllabically to a quick tempo. 8. if a cheerfulest. Range: b-flat – a2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The piano has quick, repeated rhythmic units. The voice has changing rhythms that fit the text inflections. Tonality is blurred. The quick intervallic leaps required of the singer are difficult. 9. swooning. Range: b – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Both vocal and piano parts are difficult. The score is marked as being a crooning song. The vocal line has many articulations to suggest this style, including accents, portamenti, and very specific dynamic markings. The accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the voice. 10. this (let’s remember). Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The texture is very intricate between voice and piano. There is very much movement in rhythms and vocal contours, but not much development is made. Stamina is needed by both performers. 11. dying is fine. Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is moderately difficult. The text is about the act of dying. The vocal melody is marked “langorous, smokey” and the blurred tonality helps to achieve this style. The rhythm of the vocal part is much like the rhythm of spoken text. The piano does provide some harmonic stability for the voice, but not consistently. 12. blossoming are people. Range: d1 – a2. Tessitura is high. Piano and vocal parts

27 are difficult. Because of rhythmic intricacies, ensemble poses a problem. The text and mood of the music provides a positive shift from the previous song. There are many large intervals to sing, with minimal harmonic support from the piano. 13. two old. Range: d1 – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. This is the first song of the cycle that has any melismatic phrases in the voice. The rhythms are very free in both piano and voice. There is no stable tonality. 14. if the. Range: d1 – a2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is very short. Rhythmic intricacies combined with lack of tonality make this song challenging for both performers. 15. the great advantage of. Range: f1 – g2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is minimalistic in both piano and voice parts. There is a tonal center, without a strong sense of tonality. The text has many words and diction may prove a problem for the singer, especially on the many high pitches. The text is about carefree love.

Pine Songs II. Texts by Paul Pines. Published by Theodore Presser in 2002. 1. The Bal Shem Tov. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately easy. The song is very brief. The piano has punctuating chords between vocal phrases, but does not accompany the vocal melody. The text is about the Jewish religion. The tempo is very slow, and the vocal melody

28 has short melismatic passages. 2. Brooklyn. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is easy. The text is about Brooklyn at night, and it has strong religious overtones. The text setting matches the natural speech inflection of the text. The piano accompaniment has steadily moving, block chords. The vocal melody has the rhythmic and melodic interest. 3. Fluid Mechanics. Range: e1 – f2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is easy. The piano accompaniment has steadily moving block chords. The tempo is andante, and the meter shifts frequently. The text is about questioning oneself. The music is minimalistic, and it conveys the text well. 4. I Shall Cook Me Bacon, Lord. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The score is marked as “swaggering” in style. The piano accompaniment doubles the vocal melody throughout much of the song. The vocal melody has irregular phrase lengths with arched melodic contours. The text is about a strong-willed person struggling with the idea of God. 5. Let Us Consider. Range: f1 – a2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderate. The text is philosophical and requires a mature singer. The vocal melody has syncopated entrances of phrases and disjunct melodic phrases. The piano

29 accompaniment has steadily moving eighth-note figures. The dynamic and tempo changes are clearly marked in the score. 6. Pont L’Archiveche. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderate. The song is very succinct. The piano accompaniment doubles the vocal melody for much of the song. The song is tonal with some dissonance. 7. Where We Once Refused to Go. Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderate. The text questions religion and the relationship between a parent and child. The song requires an emotionally mature singer. The vocal phrases have many large leaps. The piano accompaniment has fluid motion, and is harmonically supportive of the voice. 8. You See My Old Wandering Jew. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderate. The score is marked as having a slightly bluesy style. The song is tonal with some flat 3rd and 7th scale degrees, giving a hint of a blues scale. The vocal phrases have arpeggiated, arching phrases. The text has the suggestion of a nonspecific yearning.

30 CHAPTER IV ROBERT BAKSA

Biography and Style Robert Baksa was born in 1938 in New York City to Hungarian immigrants and spent his formative years in Arizona. Baksa studied the violin and piano from a very young age. After earning his bachelor’s degree in composition from the University of Arizona, Baksa returned to New York, where he lives and works. Currently, he is the new music coordinator and composer in residence at the Pleshakov Music Center. Baksa is a prolific composer, having composed more than 500 works to date. He composes in numerous genres, including solo piano, chorus, solo vocal, opera, and chamber music of many combinations. Baksa’s compositions continue to be performed internationally by acclaimed musicians, including Paquito D’Rivera, Sharon Robinson, Margo Garrett, and the Virtuosi Wind Quintet. Baksa has composed two operas. His most performed opera is “Red Carnations,” which was commissioned by Lincoln Center for the Metropolitan Opera Studio; it serves as an introduction to opera for young people. For the past 20 years, chamber music has been Baksa’s focus. Although the difficulty level varies, young and moderately experienced voices can perform many of Baksa’s songs. His use of tonal melodies, humorous texts, and familiar harmonies make the music accessible to audiences and performers. Vocal melodies often take precedence in Baksa’s songs, and the tunes are memorable. The vocal parts are highlighted by supportive piano accompaniments. His songs contain

31 lyrical piano and vocal parts. Baksa’s compositional style is neo-Classical. His songs have well-defined, symmetrical structures. He creates rich timbres in his harmonic language, and his rhythmic ideas are often complex. Although he uses several poets, Baksa has an affinity for the poetry of Emily Dickinson.

Song Annotations Housman Songs. Texts by A. E. Housman. Published in 1967 by Theodore Presser. For low voice and piano. 1. When I was one-and-twenty. Range: c1 – e2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The song is tonal with an accompaniment very supportive of the vocal line. There are many suspensions with resolutions in the voice. 2. When the lad for longing sighs. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. A tonal song with some dissonances. The piano has a very active line. The phrases are short and regular. 3. On your midnight pallet lying. Range: c1 – f2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal and piano parts are moderate. The song is tonal. The vocal melody is lyrical and takes precedence over the piano accompaniment. The song is simply stated. 4. Oh, sick am I to see you. Range: b – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. There are several shared motives in the

32 piano and vocal lines. The text is set syllabically and is about an ending relationship. 5. White in the moon. Range: d1 –d2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate. The song is tonal with understated harmonies and musical gestures. The text is atmospheric, which is conveyed through colorful, but sparse harmonies. The vocal melody has a descending figure that recurs throughout. 6. Others, I am not the first. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Piano and vocal parts are moderately difficult. The song is tonal with a fast tempo. There is much rhythmic agitation in the piano. The text is about war. 7. Oh fair enough are sky and plain. Range: d1- e2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderately difficult. The song has lyrical legato melodies in the vocal part. The song is highly tonal. There are short, regular phrases. 8. If it chance your eye offend you. Range: c1 – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderate. The song has a marching tempo. The piano supports the voice. The piece is classically structured with a strong sense of tonality and few dissonances. 9. Oh, when I was in love with you. Range: c1 – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. There are many seventh chords in the piano. The voice is in duple meter and the piano is in compound meter, providing complex rhythmic contours. The text inflection matches the musical phrases well.

33 10. Think no more, lad! Range: b – f2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. Voice and piano are equals in the song. There are many short repeated motives in the voice and piano parts. The text is about youthful ignorance and war. 11. Loveliest of trees. Range: e1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. The texture is thin with lyrical, lyrical melodies in the voice and piano with regular phrase lengths and shapes. The piano anticipates the pitch of the voice entrances in many places.

Seven Songs to the Poems of Emily Dickinson. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1977 by Theodore Presser. For medium voices. 1. Much madness is divinest sense. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The song is short with many dissonances, but a strong tonal sense. There are colorful harmonies in the piano that support the vocal line. 2. What inn is this. Range: c-sharp1 – e2. Tessitura is low. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano creates the atmosphere of the song. The song is primarily in a minor mode with much indefinite tonality. There is a strong focus on whole and half step motion in the vocal and piano parts. 3. I took my power in my hand. Range: f1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. This is a song with a very broad tempo and

34 harmonic sense. The melody is lyrical and is shared throughout by the piano and voice. Motivic ideas are utilized and repeated. 4. I died for beauty. Range: a-sharp – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano part is difficult. A transparent texture is achieved through treble, chordal harmonies in the piano, very close in pitch to the vocal line. The phrases are short and regular. 5. A shady friend for torrid days. Range: f-sharp1 – g2. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is moderately difficult. This song is in a minor mode with a tonal center. There is much focus in the vocal line and accompaniment on the falling half-step interval. There is formal symmetry in this song. 6. The soul selects her own society. Range: d1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. This is a slow, sustained song. There are sequential patterns in the vocal and piano parts. The piano provides romantic, colorful harmonies. The voice and piano are of equal importance. 7. I’m nobody. Range: d1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. This song is very different in harmony, texture and musicality than the rest of the set. Staccato figures in the piano create a pointillistic sound. The vocal melody takes precedence over the piano.

More Songs to Poems of Emily Dickinson. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1978 by Theodore Presser. Dedicated to Carolyn Reyer. For medium voices. 1. Two butterflies went out at noon. Range: f1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is moderate. Many changes of tempo; an

35 overall waltz style. The piano plays an important role with several interludes. There are sequential ideas and melodic ideas shared by voice and piano. 2. Heart! We will forget him. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about allowing a broken heart to mend. The tempo is moderately slow. The piano accompaniment has quarter note, block chords with several short flourishes of rhythm at the ends of the vocal phrases. The vocal melody has rhythmic motion and harmonies that are supported by the piano accompaniment. There is syncopation and chromatic movement in the vocal melody. 3. The morns are meeker than they were. Range: e1 – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Piano part is difficult. The piano has a very dense, flowing accompaniment with a legato, lyric vocal melody above. Ensemble can be difficult to align. Much syncopation in both parts. 4. There’s a certain slant of light. Range: b-flat – e-flat2. Tessitura is low. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is slow, and sustained. The melody in the voice is static. The open chords in the piano provide a sense of expansiveness. 5. Poor little Heart! Range: d1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. There is a repetitive rhythmic and melodic motive that is present throughout in both parts, which matches the repeated text. The second beat is often emphasized in measures. 6. No matter – now – Sweet. Range: d-sharp1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal

36 and piano parts are moderately difficult. The song is in an ABA form, with the A sections in a major mode and the B section in a minor mode. There are many short, repetitive phrases. 7. When night is almost done. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The tempo is slow and sustained. There are two distinct sections with similar vocal parts, but differing accompaniment styles. There is diatonic tonality throughout. 8. Who robbed the woods? Range: f1 – g2. Tessitura is high. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is difficult. A fast tempo with a sustained vocal line over a quickly moving accompaniment. The piano has a melodic motive that moves between hands. The accompaniment has a prelude and postlude. The vocal melody is lyrical. 9. This is my letter to the world. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium female voice. The Vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment has a melody that is of equal importance to the vocal melody. The counterpoint between piano and vocal parts is intricate. The piano does not double the vocal melody, but is harmonically supportive. The voice has irregular phrase lengths and shapes that fit the text inflection well. The song is tonal with little dissonance.

Three Portraits. Texts by Fenton Johnson. Published in 1996 by Theodore Presser. Dedicated to Robert Briggs. For low male voice and piano. The songs should be sung as a cycle.

37 1. The Banjo Player. Range: C – e1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The tempo is quick and there is much syncopation in the voice and piano. There are colorful harmonies throughout. The banjo picking is depicted in the rhythms of the piano accompaniment. The tonality is blurred. 2. The Drunkard. Range: B-flat – d1. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal and piano parts are highly difficult due to atonality. Uneven rhythms throughout suggest staggering of the protagonist. Much of the vocal part is quasi-recitative. 3. The Minister. Range: B – e1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part and accompaniment are difficult. There is a dichotomy in the text, and it is musically depicted in drastic mood changes in the music. There are shifts between hymnlike accompanied singing and a faster middle passage that is fiery in tempo, rhythm and text.

A Cynic’s Cycle. Texts by Ambrose Pierce. Published in 2000 by Theodore Presser. For tenor and piano. Light, ironic, humorous texts. The songs should be sung as a cycle. 1. Business. Range: d – e1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal line is moderate. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano has an introduction and several lengthy interludes. The text is humorous and about money and safety. The song has a quick tempo. Short vocal phrases match the length of textual phrases. 2. Allah’s good laws. Range: c – e1. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. A short, tonal song with simple phrase structure. The piano has a transparent texture. The text is on irreverence. 3. To men. Range: d – g1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part and piano

38 accompaniment are difficult. The text is a cynical view of relationships. The rhythmic and metric patterns give a clear text inflection. 4. Montefiore. Range: e – g1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric6, but not tonal. There is a strong emphasis on the whole-tone interval. Several mood changes occur within the song. Some motivic unity exists. 5. The Graverobber. Range: e – a1. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The tonality is minor. The piano provides a context to the text, which involves a narration of a grave robbery. 6. Religion. Range: f – f1. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The piano plays an important role in the narration through the interludes. There is much dissonance, but there is a strong tonal center. Text painting occurs throughout. 7. The Troutlet. Range: e-flat – f1. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. This song has classical form in the phrase structure and melodic ideas. The piano depicts the entrapment discussed in the text.

Teasdale Songs. Texts by Sara Teasdale. Published by Theodore Presser in 2002. Recommended for soprano. This cycle is appropriate for young singers.

6

“… music can be organized around referential centers…In the absence of functional harmony…notes that are stated frequently, sustained at length, placed in registral extreme, played loudly, and rhythmically or metrically stressed tend to have priority…” Joseph Strauss, Introduction to Post-Tonal Theory (Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2005), 131.

39 1. Advice to a Girl. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text consists of advice given to a young girl about loving and letting go of the person loved. The vocal phrases are short and fragmented. The piano accompaniment takes on an equal role to the vocal melody, and it behaves in such a way that the voice and piano seem to converse. Melodic and rhythmic motives are shared between voice and piano. 2. Did you Never Know. Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The spoken text is about a man who let pride get in the way of being with his lover. The song is tonal with a section of chromatic harmonies. The piano accompaniment provides the rhythmic motion through repetitive eighth note triplet figures. The vocal melody has many ascending leaps of fifths and sixths. 3. When Love Goes. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about a girl with a broken heart. The score is marked as ‘agitated.’ The piano accompaniment provides the sense of agitation through the repetitive sixteenth note sextuplet groupings. The vocal melody has phrases that often begin with a syncopated rhythm on the second half of the first beat of the measure. The voice has a sequence in the middle of the song. 4. Portrait of Pierrot. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is an illustration of Pierrot playing his lute in a garden for his lover. The piano

40 accompaniment provides a sense of the lute, with incessantly moving sixteenth notes in the left hand. The vocal melody is diatonic with short, regular phrase lengths and some syncopated rhythms. The tempo is moderate, and the dynamics are, for the most part, left to the discretion of the performers. 5. April Song. Range: g1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal melody is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about spring love. The piano accompaniment has a repetitive rhythmic figure that provides stability for the vocal part. The vocal melody has short, regular phrase lengths. The vocal melody has sustained high pitches and repetitive text.

Dow Songs. Texts by Dorothy Dow. Published by Theodore Presser in 2003. Recommended for soprano. 1. The Elusive. Range: d-flat1 –g-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the elusive nature of happiness and what causes it in each individual. The piano accompaniment is a supportive continuation of triplet eighth note figures in block chords. The vocal melody is supported harmonically and rhythmically with the piano part. The vocal melody has varying phrase lengths. The vocal melody is lyrical and has arching phrases. 2. Things. Range: f1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is moderately slow. The text is a simple statement of love. The piano accompaniment has a rhythmic melody in the right hand. The vocal melody has short, fragmented phrases that

41 match the text. The song is tonal and charming. 3. To a Proud Lover. Range: f1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is an attempt not to love someone, to no avail. The score is marked as agitated and the tempo is quick. Both the piano and vocal parts have intricate rhythms and chromaticism. The piano accompaniment is rhythmically and harmonically supportive of the vocal melody. The texture is dense in passages. 4. To a Neglectful Lover. Range: d1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is moderately slow. The vocal melody has arching, legato phrases of irregular length. The piano accompaniment is secondary to the vocal melody, with dramatic interludes between vocal phrases. The song is tonal with chromaticism and dissonance. 5. To a Jealous Lover. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment has flourishes of rhythmic complexity. The vocal melody has syncopation and irregular, arching phrases that match the text inflection well. The piano and voice have lyrical phrases. 6. Recurrence. Range: f1 – f2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on the familiar pain of an ended love. The piano accompaniment takes on an important role, with a dense, supportive texture under the vocal melody and several interludes throughout the song. The piano and vocal parts have a significant amount of

42 dissonance that portrays the angst of the poem. 7. To a New Lover. Range: e-flat1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has a minimum of three voices of counterpoint throughout. The tempo is moderately fast, and the piano accompaniment adds to the rhythmic propulsion. The vocal melody has triplet figures, and the melody is disjunct. The piano and voice should be performed in a leggiero style.

Letters From Emily. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published by Theodore Presser in 2007. Two volumes. Recommended for soprano voice. 1. Nature, the gentlest mother is. Range: e-flat1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is moderate. The piano accompaniment gains rhythmic momentum through the middle of the song, with the beginning and ending having a more gentle sense with block chords. There is much melodic motion in the vocal part. The phrase lengths are long and irregular, and the melodic shape is disjunct. The song is tonal with chromaticism in the middle third of the piece. 2. Going to Heaven. Range:d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal and piano parts have rhythmic complexities. There is much syncopation in the vocal melody. The voice has unexpected harmonies, and the vocal melody is not doubled by the piano. An accomplished singer is necessary.

43 3. Hope is the thing with feathers. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment has a repeated rhythmic motive throughout the song with changing chords. The vocal melody has arching phrases of irregular lengths. There is much chromaticism in the vocal part. The text is set syllabically. The vocal melody imitates the rhythmic motive of the piano part at times. 4. Dear March. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has two-voice counterpoint consistently. The tempo is fast and the rhythmic units are short. Diction may pose a problem for the singer because of the large amount of words, the disjunct nature of the melody and the fast tempo. 5. Sleep is supposed to be. Range: f1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with dissonance in the piano and voice. The vocal melody has many sustained high pitches, and the phrases are long. The piano accompaniment is harmonically and melodically supportive of the vocal melody. The tempo is moderate, and the melody combined with the accompaniment is in the style of a lullaby. 6. The rose did caper on her cheek. Range: f1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment has a repetitious motive of sixteenth notes in the right hand throughout the song. The vocal melody has irregular phrase lengths with sustained high pitches. The vocal melody has lyrical phrases with large leaps to navigate.

44 7. A soul goes to Heaven. Range: f1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment is rhythmic and repetitive, with gradually shifting motives from the beginning to the end of the song. Both vocal and piano parts have syncopated rhythms; many downbeats are obscured in both piano and voice. The shape of the vocal melody does not always fit the expected text inflection. 8. There came a wind like a bugle. Range: f1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is very fast. The piano and vocal parts have quickly moving phrases. The piano accompaniment is not harmonically or rhythmically supportive of the voice. The singer must be strongly independent. The harmonic rhythm shifts quickly, and there is much chromaticism and dissonance in the piano and voice. There is text painting, and the text is portrayed well.

45 CHAPTER V SEYMOUR BARAB

Biography and Style Seymour Barab was born in Chicago in 1921. He began his professional musical career by playing the organ at a local church as a child. Although he aspired to be a concert pianist, he began studying cello in high school. After high school, Barab joined the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Ever since, Barab has performed with renowned orchestras across the United States. Barab has always had an affinity for avant garde music, although he is primarily self-taught in composition. He is a founding member of the New Music Quartet and the New York City Composer’s Quartet. Barab has taught composition at Rutgers University, Black Mountain College and the New England Conservatory of Music. Barab served in World War II, and, afterwards, took advantage of the GI Bill to spend a year in Paris. While in Paris, Barab composed nearly 200 works, many of them songs. Although Barab composes in various genres, the songs are considered by many to be his best compositions. He has also composed several operas, which are performed internationally. Barab was awarded the National Opera Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 1988. Barab’s songs are intimately related to the text, and his compositional style varies according to the demands of the text. He uses popular music idioms with contemporary poets, and a neo-Romantic style with earlier poets. The rhythmic ideas and text setting inflect the natural speech rhythms of the poetry. Barab regularly uses humorous texts in

46 his songs. Many of Barab’s songs are suitable for young or inexperienced voices. The ranges are often limited and tessituras moderate. His songs are tonal, although chromaticism and dissonance are utilized. The vocal melodies take precedence over the piano accompaniments, and the melodies are lyrical with regular phrase shapes and lengths. The piano accompaniments are often repetitious in harmony and rhythm. Arpeggiations and short motivic ideas are common in Barab’s accompaniments. Barab’s songs are generally brief, and the formal structures are simple. The uncomplicated forms highlight memorable, tuneful melodies accompanied by warm, inviting harmonies.

Song Annotations Four Songs. Published in 1955 by Boosey and Hawkes. For middle voice and piano. 1. Go Lovely Rose. Text by Edmund Waller. Dedicated to Ethel Semser. Range: d1 – e2. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The accompaniment has motion in thirds throughout the song. There are many shifting meters. The vocal line is a simple, lyrical melody. 2. She’s Somewhere in the Sunlight Strong. Text by Richard Le Gallienne. Dedicated to Janine Linda. Range: e1 – g2. Tessitura is high. The meter is in 5/4, which creates an unsteady feeling. Much syncopation occurs in the voice and piano. The song is tonal. The text is set well to emphasize natural speech inflection. 3. Minstrel’s Song. Text by Thomas Chatterton. Dedicated to Gertrude Yale.

47 Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. The compound meter helps to propel the song forward. The piano has two characters – one is sustained and the other is quick motion. The voice alternates between ascending arpeggios and descending scalar patterns. 4. I can’t be talkin’ of love. Text by Esther Mathews. Dedicated to Ellen Adler. Range: c1 – d2. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal line is easy. Accompaniment is moderate. Tonal with little dissonance. Melody is lilting, lyrical and tuneful. The accompaniment has repeated rhythmic figures with changing harmonies.

Songs of Perfect Propriety. Texts by Dorothy Parker. Published in 1959 by Boosey and Hawkes. For medium voice and piano. Recommended for female singers. 1. Song of Perfect Propriety. Range: c1 – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is easy. The text is humorous and is about being a female pirate. There is a strong metrical sense. The vocal melody is repetitive and simply structured. The piano is secondary to the vocal melody. 2. Now at Liberty. Range: f1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are easy. The text is on healing a broken heart. The piano has arpeggiated chords with much notated pedal throughout. The tempo is moderate in a triple meter. The text is set syllabically. The song is strophic. 3. Ultimatum. Range: c1 – e2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The song is tonal with very little dissonance. The harmonic motion is simple and expected. The piano doubles the

48 voice in many places. 4. Renunciation. Range: e1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is easy. The accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with minimal dissonances. The text setting is declarative, and the accompaniment is very supportive of the voice. 5. Inventory. Range: c1 – d2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The song is tonal with some dissonances. Many extended chords in the accompaniment. The tempo is slow. The text is on longing and regret with some humor. 6. Social Note. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part and accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. The tempo is slow throughout. Repeated rhythmic figures in the piano provide a sense of agitation. The song is short. A sizeable portion of the song is made up of sequential material in the vocal line. 7. A Very Short Song. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderate. The song is set in a 5/4 meter. There are many dissonances, but the song is tonal. The vocal line has several large leaps. The accompaniment provides harmonic support and creates tension in the middle of the song with quick rhythmic units and expanding chords. 8. One Perfect Rose. Range: d1- f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The vocal line has motivic unity throughout. The piano is rhythmically supportive of the voice with active rhythmic changes; the piano creates harmonic dissonance. The song is in rounded binary form.

49 9. Wisdom. Range: e1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. Many diminished chords provide a musical context for the text, which is about a broken heart. The final section of the song is marked presto and conveys the change of mood in the text. 10. Men. Range: b – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal and piano parts are moderate. The piano has arpeggiated chords in the right hand, which brings color and motion to the song. The song is tonal and mainly diatonic with some dissonances. The vocal line is made of short, regular, lyrical phrases. 11. Lullaby. Range: d-flat1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part and accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. There are block chords throughout in the piano, with instructions to slightly arpeggiate the chords as they are played. The chords provide a strong sense of stability. The song is tonal with lush harmonies that create warm timbral colors. There are several key changes throughout the song. The vocal line is very lyrical and legato. There is a humorous line of text at the end of the song. 12. Comment. Range: d-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part and accompaniment are moderate. The song is very short and humorous. A strong sense of verticality is achieved through use of stacked chords in the piano. There are several tremolos in the accompaniment. The voice has a phrase of Sprechstimme in the final bars. 13. Symptom Recital. Range: b-flat – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is difficult. The song is comprised of a mix of major and minor modes. There are many dissonances created between the voice and

50 piano. The voice has a repetitive rhythmic figure throughout. Strong emphasis is on the chromatic scale, which is used in sequences in the vocal melody. The accompaniment has quick rhythmic figures and supports the vocal line harmonically. 14. The False Friends. Range: d1 – f2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. There are many quick shifts between major and minor, although the entire song is tonal. The vocal melody and accompaniment are uncomplicated and tuneful. 15. Love Song. Range: c1 – e2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate. There are repetitive verses in the voice with changing accompanimental styles to convey the text. There is much text painting. A simply structured, tonal melody has emphasis on the pentatonic scale. The text is one of a typical love song with unexpected twists. 16. Indian Summer. Range: d1 – e2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with passing chromaticism. Many large leaps occur in the vocal line. The accompaniment is filled with quick arpeggios and parallel thirds. The text is a righteous declaration of self. 17. Somebody’s Song. Range: b – e2. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal part is easy. Accompaniment is moderate. Two contrasting musical styles create this song. The first is slow, sustained, with static harmonies. The second is made up of arpeggios in the voice with quick, scalar patterns in the piano. The text is on the progression of a love from a good beginning to a bad ending.

51 18. Song of One of the Girls. Range: b-flat – d2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate. There is much dissonance and many changing tonal areas. Tonality is obscured until the end with a simple, tonal harmonic progression. The piano is active and changing throughout. The voice has many octave leaps. 19. Bric-a-Brac. Range: b – d2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate. The text is made up of many short phrases and this structure is mirrored in the musical structure. The piano and voice share rhythmic motives throughout. There is a lot of text, which could cause diction difficulties. 20. They Part. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderately difficult. A quirky, ironic text on the end of a relationship. The piano has a static, minimalistic accompaniment. The voice has a lyrical melody that has dissonances with the piano. The ending is tonally stable, with a strong, diatonic cadence. 21. Chant for Dark Hours. Range: c1 – f2. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate. This song is in a minor mode, with an emphasis on the Phrygian mode. The piano and voice alternate having the melody or a sustained drone. The text is about a woman waiting for the right man. 22. The Choice. Range: c1 – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is difficult. There is much use of the whole tone scale. The song is tonal with dissonances throughout. There are two verses. The piano has much text painting. The piano is harmonically supportive of the voice, but equal in

52 importance. 23. The Trusting Heart. Range: d1 – e2. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with shifting key centers. There are also many shifts in meters. The piano has quick, fluttering rhythms. The vocal line is sustained. The melody and accompaniment are highly repetitive. 24. Coda. Range: c1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is difficult. The accompaniment has quick successions of flourishes in rhythm and pitch. The vocal part is disjunct and is tonal, but not particularly melodious. The texture is dense throughout. The piano and voice both have short, clipped phrases. The text is about the daily tasks and trials of life.

An Explanation. Text by Walter Learned. Published by Boosey and Hawkes in 1964. Range: d1 – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for medium voice; recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is a highly repetitive explanation of kissing a girl. The text could be interpreted many ways, depending upon the performer. The song is very brief, and it is tonal. The piano accompaniment has a repeated rhythmic motive for the entire song. The vocal melody takes precedence, and it has disjunct, legato phrases. A charming, appropriate song for young singers.

A Maid Me Loved. Text by Patrick Hannay. Published by Boosey and Hawkes in 1964.

53 Range: c1 – e2. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for medium voice; recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The poem is about a man longing for a lost love. The song is tonal with some chromaticism. A descending motive is passed between the voice and piano. The voice has arching, lyrical phrases. The piano accompaniment has steady eighth notes in twopart counterpoint.

The Rivals. Texts by James Stephens. Published by Theodore Presser in 1971. Composed for high voice; recommended for soprano or tenor. This cycle would be appropriate for a young, intermediate singer. 1. The Daisies. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a bucolic love story. The tempo is moderate, and the meter is compound. The vocal phrases are lengthy, and there are often large ascending intervals at the ends of the phrases. The piano accompaniment is in two-part counterpoint, with steady eighth notes throughout. 2. The Rose in the Wind. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a brief, light exploration of the fleeting nature of time and all things. The tempo is slow, and the meter is compound. The vocal phrases and two-part counterpoint in the piano accompaniment are reminiscent of the first song. 3. The Hawk. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is

54 short. The text describes birds in nature, and a comparison is made between the fate of the birds and our own. There is syncopation in the voice and piano. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the voice, but does not double the vocal melody. The vocal melody has many large leaps and sustained high pitches. Diction could be challenging because of the wide tessitura. 4. The Rivals. Range: e1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. This is the longest, most difficult song of the cycle. The text is about a good-natured singing rivalry between a bird and a person in the morning. The piano accompaniment has a steady, repetitive eighth note pattern, with many parallel thirds in the right hand. The vocal melody has melodic and rhythmic interest. The voice has syncopations and text painting throughout, including several melismas.

Parodies - As some traditional jump-rope rhymes might have been set to music by the masters. Texts by Seymour Barab. Published in 1986 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Mara Worth Merriman. For soprano voice and piano. These songs are humorous parodies on famous composers’ styles. 1. I’ll Never Go to Macy’s (George Friedrich Handel). Range: e1 – a2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The pianist is instructed to “play in the manner of a harpsichord realization.” A recitative begins the song. Many sequential patterns occur in the vocal line. The piano doubles the voice throughout. The harmonic rhythm is clear, and there is much steady quarter note motion in both piano and voice.

55 2. Miss Lucy (Gaetano Donizetti). Range: d1 – b-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Vocal part is difficult. Accompaniment is difficult. This song mimics a Donizetti aria. There are multiple sections with differing musical styles to match the text. The voice has the melody throughout, and there are many ornaments. The piano does not have much rhythmic or melodic interest, but is secondary to the vocal acrobatics. 3. I Was Standing on the Corner (Hugo Wolf). Range: g1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderate. This song is in a minor mode. It is very tonal, with lush, romantic harmonies. The vocal and piano parts have a partnership in portraying the text. The piano provides the momentum throughout. 4. Poor Old Lady (Modeste Moussorgsky). Range: d1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal and piano parts are moderate. Widely spaced chords in the accompaniment create an expansive atmosphere. There are dissonances and non-traditional chord progressions. Shifting meters occur throughout the song. Static motion in the voice and piano alternate with quick rhythmic passages. 5. Charlie Chaplin (Henri Duparc). Range: g1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is difficult. The vocal part contains the legato, suspended melody. The piano has fluid motion created through repetitive arpeggiated chords. There are colorful harmonies throughout. The song has a strong tonal sense. 6. Spanish Dancer (Manuel De Falla). Range: e1 – b2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. A long piano introduction is filled with quick rhythmic values and the melodic interest in the bass line. The

56 accompaniment throughout is filled with quick, arpeggiated chords. The vocal line has several long melismas. The song builds in dynamics and ascends in pitch until the very end.

Moments Macabres. Traditional, nonsense and counting children’s rhymes of London children, as compiled by W.H. Auden. Published by Seesaw Music Corporation in 1995. Recommended for high voice. The original instrumentation is flute, oboe, clarinet, string quartet and bass. The piano / vocal version is mostly commonly performed. Should be sung as a cycle. The cycle begins with a lengthy piano prelude. 1. Old Roger. Range: e1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is playful and has nonsense syllables. The piano and vocal parts are repetitive. The form of the song is strophic. The vocal part has many octave leaps. The score is marked ‘robust.’ The meter is compound, and the vocal melody and chordal accompaniment are structured in a way to provide a vertical sense of the beats. 2. Down by the Green Wood Shady. Range: f1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is an eerily, dark poem about an old woman stabbing two soldiers in their hearts. The music is tonal and has clean, simple harmonies. The vocal melody is repetitive, and it has simple rhythms and diatonic intervals. 3. The Walk. Range: f-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano and vocal parts are highly repetitive. The harmonies of the song are chromatic,

57 and there are nontraditional harmonic progressions. The piano accompaniment has much rhythmic motion throughout, and the song begins with a piano prelude. The vocal melody moves steadily in eighth and quarter notes. The vocal phrases are of regular length and are arching. The text is a humorous description of groups of animals dressed in finery going out for a walk. 4. A Man of Words and not of Deeds. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a moral lesson, with a humorous chain of events. The tempo is marked as moderately fast with a legato melody without rubato. The vocal melody is repetitive and has regular, arching phrases. The piano accompaniment is supportive and subservient to the vocal melody. 5. Gypsies in the Wood. Range: f1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song begins with a lengthy piano prelude, with much ostentatious ornamentation. The text is a descriptive tale of playing with gypsies in the woods. Harmonic minor scales are used in the piano and vocal parts. The vocal melody has many syncopated rhythms and sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment has supportive, rapidly moving rhythms with colorful harmonies. 6. Elegy for Frederick the Great. Range: f1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is an ironic eulogy. The piano accompaniment gains complexity through the middle of the song. The middle of the song has fast, irregular scalar patterns in the piano. The vocal melody has syncopated rhythms that create a floating effect. There are

58 sustained high pitches. Clear diction is necessary for the wordy poem. 7. Mama had a Baby. Range: g1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is marked as breathlessly fast. The text is the announcement of a baby’s birth. The vocal melody has sustained, arching phrases. The piano accompaniment has fast scalar motion for the entire song, creating a sense of urgency.

59 CHAPTER VI JACK BEESON

Biography and Style Jack Beeson was born July 15, 1921 in Muncie, Indiana. He studied piano as a young child, and he developed a love of opera by listening to Saturday afternoon radio broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera productions. His works total 128, but the operas, symphonic works and songs are the best known of his output. Beeson earned undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. Upon graduation, he studied composition with Bartok, and Beeson continued studying piano and conducting at Columbia University. While at Columbia, Beeson was the rehearsal pianist and assistant conductor for the opera workshop, through which he played the premieres of operas by Gian Carlo Menotti, Virgil Thomson and Ernst Bacon – workshop performances of works later produced in professional companies. Beeson earned a Prix de Rome and a Fulbright Fellowship that allowed him to live in Rome from 1948 to 1950. While in Rome, Beeson composed his first opera. It was for this opera, Lizzie Borden, that Beeson is best known. After returning to the United States, Beeson taught at Columbia, where he helped to establish doctoral programs in Music Theory and Ethnomusicology. Beeson was extremely active in musical organizations that promote the music of American composers. He served on as many as twelve boards at one time. These organizations included Composers Recordings, Inc., Composers’ Forum, American

60 Composers Alliance, the board of ASCAP, and positions on the board of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Beeson was a dedicated teacher. Although he retired from Columbia in 1988, he continued to serve as a member of the Society of Senior Scholars at Columbia. Beeson continued to mentor composers until his death in New York City on June 6, 2010. Jack Beeson drew from many styles and compositional techniques to suite the dramatic character of his work. He set the text of each piece with great skill. His melodies have relatively short phrases. Interpretation of the text can be heard through the shapes and dynamics of the phrases, as well as the rhythmic momentum he creates to propel the melody. Beeson’s vocal repertoire is considerably difficult for the pianist and vocalist. Atonality is utilized frequently, usually with some pitch-centricity. Meters and rhythmic units shift irregularly to fit the text. Beeson’s songs are dramatically intense and require acting ability in the performers.

Song Annotations Five Songs. Texts by Francis Quarles. Published in 1954 by Peer International Corporation. For medium voice. Should be sung as a set. 1. On a Spiritual Fever. Range: c-sharp1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. A short song with many quick shifts in tempo, meter and dynamics. The piano has complicated hand-crossings with fast, changing scalar motion. The vocal line is disjunct and has several octave leaps. The song is pitch-centric with much dissonance.

61 2. A Good Night. Range: c1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. Voice and piano are difficult due to the blurred tonality. The text is set syllabically. Many meter changes help to increase correct text inflection. The piano has long, legato phrases. The text is a lullaby with religious references. 3. On the World. Range: f-sharp1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Tonality is blurred. Texture is dense throughout, with little opportunity to rest for the performers or audience. The piano does not melodically assist the vocal line. 4. Epigram. Range: e1 – g-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult due to the lack of tonality and difficult intervals to navigate. The accompaniment is difficult due to the shifting meters, and rhythmic values. The song is short and has an encouraging text with religious undertones. 5. On Death. Range: c1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is difficult. Accompaniment is difficult. This is the longest song of the set, and has more development than the previous songs. The tempo is a sustained andantino. Complex rhythmic units and metrical shifts occur in both voice and piano. Text is about death and has religious references. Pitch-centric.

Calvinistic Evensong. Text by John Betjeman. Published in 1962 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: A – f1. Tessitura is moderately high. Composed for baritone. Vocal line is difficult. Piano part is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with much dissonance. The vocal line is lyrical and is set syllabically. The piano has emphasis on the low bass line. There are lush, romantic harmonies and several tempo changes. The

62 text is filled with images of attending an evening church service. Big Crash Out West. Text by Peter Viereck. Published in 1963 by Mills Music and transferred to Galaxy Music Corporation in 1986. Range: C – e1. The tessitura is moderate. Written for baritone voice. The vocal part and accompaniment are difficult. The song is tonal with various key centers and many dissonances throughout. The piano accompaniment has many extended chords. The vocal line remains steady and lyrical. The piano provides the climactic points through quickened rhythms, thicker textures and growing dynamics.

Against Idleness and Mischief and in Praise of Labor. Text by Isaak Watts. Published in 1973 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Madeleine Marshall. Range: f1 – c3. Tessitura is high. Composed for soprano. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The piano has scalar motion in both hands simultaneously throughout the song. The vocal line has scales and also outlines chords in arpeggios. Much coloratura in the vocal part. The song is tonal, but there is much dissonance. The song is lengthy and requires vocal stamina.

Death by Owl-Eyes; a history of music in 64-odd measures. Text by Richard Hughes. Published in 1973 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Otto. Range: d1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for soprano. Vocal part and accompaniment are difficult. The song is atonal. The piano assists the vocal line with entrance pitches. Many articulation markings and changing dynamics are in both voice and piano. There is emphasis on whole tones, half-steps, and octaves throughout. The piano alternates between sustained block chords and running eighth notes. The voice is set syllabically

63 with one lengthy melisma. The text is about death. Indiana Homecoming. Text is adapted from Abraham Lincoln. Published in 1973 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: B – e1. The tessitura is low. Specified as for baritone or bass-baritone. It is vocally difficult. The accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is slow, and there are several changes in tempi throughout. There are many metrical shifts and intricate rhythmic units in both the accompaniment and voice. The song is very lyrical.

To a Sinister Potato. Text by Peter Viereck. Published in 1973 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Robert Brookhart. Range: B-flat – f1. Tessitura is wide. Composed for baritone. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The text is very humorous and is about the life of potatoes. There is a pitch-center and much chromaticism throughout. Agility is required in the vocal line because of quick rhythms. The text is set primarily syllabically. Specific pedal requirements are notated in the score.

The You Should of Done it Blues. Text by Peter Viereck. Published in 1973 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: b – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano or lyric mezzo-soprano. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is atonal with phrases that sound tonal. The blues style is achieved through dotted rhythms to imitate swinging and outlines of chords with flat thirds and sixths. The piano has hints of a walking bass line. The tempo is slow.

Senex. Text by John Betjeman. Published in 1979 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: c – e1. Tessitura is moderately high. Composed for baritone. Vocal line is difficult. Piano

64 part is moderately difficult. The text is about repressing lust; it is presented in a serious manner, but there is humor. The tempo is marked “quick and repressed.” The song has a pitch-center, but there is much dissonance and chromaticism. Rhythmic and melodic motives recur throughout. The piano is harmonically supportive of the vocal line and has syncopated rhythms that provide momentum.

Eldorado. Text by Edgar Allen Poe. Published in 1982 by Galaxy Music Corporation. Range: d1 – a2. Tessitura shifts from low to high in most phrases. Recommended for high voices. Vocal part is moderately difficult due to shifting meters, syncopations, and rhythmic intricacies. The accompaniment is secondary to the vocal melody and is moderately difficult. The song tells the story of a knight wanting to settle land.

Cowboy Song. Text by Charles Causley. Published in 1989 by Galaxy Music Corporation. Range: A-sharp – g1. The tessitura is moderately high. Written for baritone voice. The vocal part and piano accompaniment are difficult. The song is tonal with many dissonances and much chromatic movement. There are shifting meters throughout the song. The vocal and piano parts share rhythmic and melodic motives. The text is a tale of a cowboy’s life. Many textual images are musically portrayed with text painting.

Cat! Text by John Keats. Published in 1990 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: b – g2. Tessitura is wide. Composed for soprano or mezzo-soprano. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. A humorous text on cats and cat behavior. The song has a fast, intricate

65 rhythmic patterns in the voice and piano. Changing meters, dynamics and articulations occur regularly. There is much text painting. The vocal line has melismatic passages. The piano is not harmonically helpful to the voice, and it takes on as much melodic interest as the vocal line.

Fire, Fire, Quench Desire. Text by George Peele. Published in 1990 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: b – a-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Composed for soprano. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is atonal. The vocal line has many difficult intervals to navigate. The piano part is expressive with flourishes of quick rhythms and many trills, but it does not aid the vocal line.

From a Watchtower. Published in 1993 by Boosey and Hawkes. A cycle of five songs for soprano and piano. Songs should be sung as a cycle. 1. Mutability. Text by William Wordsworth. Dedicated to the memory of his son, Christopher. Range: c-sharp1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal line and accompaniment are difficult. The tempo is sustained, and there are many articulations, dynamics, and styles marked in the score. The song is pitch-centric, but there are many dissonances between voice and piano. The voice is required to sing quarter-tones7 in several marked places in the score. 2. Ballad: O What is that Sound? Text by W. H. Auden. Range: d1 – b-flat2. Tessitura is high. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is lengthy and requires stamina. It is pitch-centric on D. Shifting meters occur throughout. The 7

“An interval of half a semitone (24 quarter-tones to the octave).” Michael Kennedy, Oxford Concise Dictionary of Music (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), 585.

66 text is about a soldier leaving for war. The composer marks in the score where the singer portraying the man or the woman. Dramatically intense. 3. Heaven-Haven. Text by Gerard Manley Hopkins. Range: d-flat1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The song is strongly centered on D. A short song, it has short phrases. Harmonies are dense, and rich in romantic colors. The piano harmonically supports the voice, and the vocal melody is dominant throughout. 4. Ballad: O Where are you Going? Text by W. H. Auden. Range: d1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are difficult. The text is eerie and requires maturity to perform. The texture alternates between sparse accompaniment that highlights the voice, and quick, scalar patterns in the piano. Atonal, with difficult intervals to navigate. The vocal line must act independently of the accompaniment. 5. The Listeners. Text by Walter de la Mare. Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura is wide. Difficult vocal and piano parts. The vocal line is virtually unaccompanied in places and it is accompanied with extremely thick textures in the piano in other sections. The singer must act independently of the pianist. The tempo is marked to be varied constantly. The meters shift many times. The text is a narrative that is dramatically intense.

Four Crazy Jane Songs. Texts by W. B. Yeats. Published in 1998 by Boosey and Hawkes. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Should be sung as a set. 1. Lullaby. Range: b – f2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are

67 moderately difficult. The song is pitch-centric with many dissonances. The piano is harmonically supportive of the vocal line. The vocal line is mainly legato, with only short phrases of detachment. The text has many references to ancient Greek figures. 2. Crazy Jane Reproved. Range: a – f2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The text is on love and the likening to thunderstorms, and there are some nonsense syllables at the end of each of the two verses. The music is driven by the text and poetic structure. There are hints at major and minor modes, but overall the song is atonal. The piano has ascending and descending scalar patterns for nearly the entirety. The vocal line outlines chords with some conjunct motion, too. 3. Crazy Jane on God. Range: c – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal and piano parts are moderate. The text is about a lover coming and leaving at will, and it is ironic. The song is very short. The vocal line is lyrical and legato. The piano has many dynamic markings and is harmonically supportive of the vocal line. Pitchcentric. 4. Her Anxiety. Range: b – e2. Tessitura is low. The vocal and piano parts are moderate. Text is about lovers and lies. The piano has quick changes among fast, scalar movement, steady quarters and long, expansive chords. The piano conveys the building anxiety in the text. There are many shifts in meters.

Mary Magdalene’s Song. Text by Peter Viereck. Published in 1998 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: a-sharp – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal and piano parts

68 are moderately difficult. Composed for mezzo-soprano. The text is on Mary Magdalene’s view of her occupation, being seduced by Jesus, and the fall of Judas. The score is marked “bluesy” and this is achieved through dotted rhythms, suspensions and juxtapositions of major and minor triads. The song is atonal. The piano shares rhythmic and melodic motives with the voice. Much syncopation occurs in the vocal and piano parts.

Pull My Daisy. Text by Allen Ginsberg. Published in 1998 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Instructions at the beginning state, “passionately, angrily, letting the humor take care of itself.” The song is a very short, 16 measures, and is filled with many notes in the vocal and piano lines, as well as many changes in articulations, dynamics and meters. The song is pitch-centric with many dissonances. Difficult intervals occur in vocal melody.

Two Millay Sonnets. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Published in 1998 by Boosey and Hawkes. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Composer requests that the two songs be sung as a pair. 1. I Shall Forget You Presently… Range: b – g2. Tessitura is high. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is atonal. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal line. The voice has many wide, difficult intervals to navigate, while the piano has much steady eighth note movement. The steadiness of the piano through the many shifting meters causes time to seem

69 unmeasured. The text is on the fickleness of love. 2. What Lips My Lips Have Kissed. Range: c1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is atonal. The voice has measures with very little accompaniment, making necessary an independent singer with excellent pitch memory. The piano part is sparse throughout. The texture is transparent and the voice is highlighted. The text is one of nostalgia on past loves.

A Tale Told by Mary’s Lamb. Text by Peter Viereck (and Sara Josepha Hale). Published by Boosey and Hawkes in 2003. Range: e – a-flat1. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. Composed for tenor. It has a humorous text on controlling love. The original “Mary had a little lamb” tune by Lowell Mason is quoted. The song is atonal. There are difficult intervals in the voice. Colorful harmonies and changing rhythms in voice and piano are driven by the textual content. The piano has dense, complicated rhythms.

Hide and Seek (an Easter Ballad). Text by Peter Viereck. Published in 2003 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: d-sharp – b1. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. Composed for tenor. The text is about progressing against the majority’s wishes. Quotations of a J. S. Bach chorale occur. The piano begins and returns several times to blocked chords, suggestive of a hymn. The vocal line is to be sung in strict rhythm that alternates between duple and triple subdivisions. The song is atonal.

70 In the Public Gardens. Text by John Betjeman. Published in 2003 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: e1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is moderately high. Appropriate for high baritone or tenor. Vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is a “Moderate waltz with great flexibility.” The phrases are very long and the accompaniment is full of moving eighth notes.

Three Blake Songs. Texts by William Blake. Published in 2003 by Boosey and Hawkes. Composed for tenor. Should be sung as a set. 1. I laid me down upon a bank. Range: f-sharp – f-sharp1. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The text is filled with images of nature and is about an ending love. The song is pitch-centric. The piano has much irregular scalar motion. The first section of the vocal line is lyrical and melodically supported by the piano. The second section of the vocal line has more dissonances and difficult intervals with less support from the piano. It is a short song with romantic contours in phrase shape, dynamics and the use of rubato. 2. Never seek to tell thy love. Range: e – a1. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The text is on unrequited love. The first section of the song is driven with a dense texture and increases in pitch. The second section is static and subdued. The musical shapes shadow the literary form and storyline. The song is pitch-centric. 3. I asked a thief. Range: e – a1. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The text is humorous and is about getting what you want. The score

71 is marked “scherzo.” There are many shifts in meters, but all the meters are compound. The piano has many articulations and gestures that give the song its character. The vocal phrases are short and textually driven.

72 CHAPTER VII WILLIAM BOLCOM

Biography and Style William Bolcom was born May 26, 1938 in Seattle, Washington. Bolcom’s compositions include three operas, several musical theater shows, eleven string quartets, two film scores, incidental music for stage plays, four violin sonatas, eight symphonies, numerous works for chamber ensembles and voices, numerous works for choir, and many solo vocal pieces. Bolcom received the National Medal of Arts Award, several Grammy Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize for his compositions. Bolcom studied piano and composition from a very early age. He studied composition at the University of Washington during his childhood. Among other professors, he studied composition with Darius Milhaud, Leland Smith and Olivier Messiaen. Bolcom joined the faculty at the University of Michigan in 1973. In 1994, Bolcom earned the title of the Ross Lee Finney Distinguished University Professor of Composition. After 35 years of teaching, he retired from the university in 2008. Bolcom and his wife, mezzo-soprano, Joan Morris, have performed together internationally for 35 years, and have recorded 24 albums together. Bolcom and Morris frequently perform his compositions, as well as other cabaret songs, show tunes, and early twentieth century popular music. Bolcom’s eclectic song output ranges from musical theater to cabaret to classical art song in style. He is versatile in the way he composes music to coordinate with each poem, creates songs that defy style and genre labels. Bolcom sets a wide variety of texts

73 ranging in emotion from poignant to extremely humorous. His songs are laden with wit, intelligence and humor in the melodic and rhythmic treatment of the text. A singer with dramatic capabilities is necessary for Bolcom’s works. The accompaniments double the vocal parts frequently, and are harmonically supportive of the vocal melodies. Bolcom uses popular, jazz, and blues idioms in his harmonies. The harmonic language is generally rich and very colorful. The formal structure of his songs is often complex. He creates structure in rhythmic units that are developed throughout the piece. Bolcom utilizes a complex rhythmic pulse in the voice and piano.

Song Annotations Cabaret Songs, Volume 1. Text by Arnold Weinstein. Published in 1979 by Edward B. Marks Music Company. 1. Over the Piano. Range: b – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices, male or female. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal, with many dissonances and unexpected, temporary modulations to various key areas. The piano creates the atmosphere of the song, with the text describing a singer-pianist in a bar. The voice has several large leaps. The piano has a lengthy interlude in the middle of the song. Requires much story-telling ability of the singer. 2. Fur (Murray the Furrier). Range: a-flat – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices, male or female. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There are many meter

74 shifts, causing instability in the phrases. The style rotates between a one-step and waltz. The song is tonal with dissonances throughout. 3. He Tipped the Waiter. Range: b-flat – e2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderately difficult. Tonal with many dissonances. The vocal line has many stylized techniques, such as glissandi. Some spoken dialogue occurs. The text is a story of a womanizing man. 4. Waitin. Range: b-flat – d2. Tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for medium voices, male or female. Vocal part is easy. Piano accompaniment is easy. The song is very short, simple, and unaffected. One simple rhythmic and melodic idea is used in the piano and voice over the entire song. The text is ambiguous and may be about heaven or love. The song can be powerful in its plainness. 5. Song of Black Max (as told by the de Kooning boys). Range: b-flat – d2. Tessitura moderately low. Recommended for medium voices, male or female. Vocal part is moderate and piano accompaniment is moderate in difficulty. The song is not technically demanding for the singer. Strong acting abilities are needed, and the text - on prostitution and sexually transmitted diseases among other things - is for mature singers. The accompaniment has repeated chords for much of the song, with short interludes that prove more technically difficult. 6. Amor. Range g – a2. Tessitura is in a moderate part of the range. Appropriate for female voices. Moderately difficult vocal part due to the range. The accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is marked as “light, rhythmic;

75 Pachenga tempo.” There are syncopations in the voice and piano. This is a humorous text about sensuality and seduction.

Cabaret Songs, Volume 2. Text by Arnold Weinstein. Published in 1979 by Edward B. Marks Music Company. 1.

Places to Live. Range: a – e2. Tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. Vocal part is moderate. Accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is set in a cakewalk dance and is repetitive in melody, rhythm and text. The piano has a detached, straight rhythmic style. The vocal line is legato with syncopations. A dichotomy is created through the two different styles occurring simultaneously. A clever text about places all over the world, filled with lots of imagery.

2. Toothbrush Time. Range: b-flat – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium female voices. Vocal part is moderate in difficulty. Piano is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment develops the mood of the song, but is not harmonically supportive of the voice. The voice has short phrases and speech-like rhythms. The song is tonal, but shifts between keys with unprepared harmonies. Text is about significant others and is for emotionally mature singers. 3. Surprise! Range: b-flat – e2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices, male or female. Vocal part is moderate in difficulty. Accompaniment is moderate in difficulty. A short song with an ironically dark text on a surprise party, needing a mature singer. Many shifts in character created through quick changes in articulation, dynamics, and tempo. The piano melodically supports the

76 voice. The song is tonal. 4. The Actor. Range: a – e2. Tessitura is moderately high.

Recommended for

medium voices. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is easy. Because of the recitative quality necessary in the voice, ensemble may be slightly difficult. The texture is thin, and the vocal line is exposed. It is tonal, but with some difficult intervals to sing. 5. Oh Close the Curtains. Range: a – e2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderately difficult. The text is about the drama witnessed at a party, and it requires a mature singer. Many shifts in meter, tempo, style, articulation. The vocal line has passages marked “half-sung.” The piano has repetitive rhythmic motives, and is dominated by the voice. 6. George. Range: b-flat – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. The text is a story of an alcoholic drag queen; it is very humorous and requires a mature singer. Tonal with colorful harmonies in the accompaniment. Styles shift throughout the song according to the plot. Highly attuned acting skills necessary.

Villanelle. Text by Richard Tillinghast. Published by Edward B. Marks Music in 1989. Dedicated to Richard and Mary. Range: g – c2. The tessitura is low. Composed for medium voice; recommended for low voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. There is syncopation in the voice and piano. The piano accompaniment is sparse with a thin texture. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases.

77 The text is on an enduring, true, romantic love. An emotionally moving song.

The Junction, on a Warm Afternoon. Text by Howard Nemerov. Published by Edward B. Marks Music Company in 1990. The piece is dedicated to the composer’s mother. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a description of walking by an operational freight train. The tempo is marked as moderate and the mood tranquil. Both the piano and voice have continuous sixteenth note motion. The piano accompaniment harmonically supports the vocal melody, but does not double it. The vocal melody is very angular, and the text is set syllabically. There is much text.

Vaslav’s Song. Text by Ethyl Eichelberger. Part of the Aids Quilt Songbook published by Boosey & Hawkes in 1993. For Will Parker. Range g – e2. Appropriate for low voices, male and female. Vocally difficult due to the rhythmic angularity of the phrases and large leaps. The text setting is very true to speech inflections. The piano part is moderate; there are many block chords with the exception of a rhythmically challenging ‘B’ section, with a very short recap of the ‘B’ section at the end.

I Will Breathe a Mountain, A Song Cycle from American Women Poets. Published by Edward B. Marks Music Company in 1992. Commissioned by the Carnegie Hall Corporation for Marilyn Horne to sing in honor of Carnegie Hall’s centennial season in 1991. For mezzo-soprano and piano.

78 1. Pity Me Not Because the Light of Day. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range a – f2. Vocal and piano lines are both difficult. The voice has complex rhythms that fit the speech inflections well. The text is set exclusively syllabically. The piano covers an extensive range with extended harmonies. 2. How to Swing Those Obbligatos Around. Text by Alice Fulton. Range g – f2. The humorous and ironic text is set syllabically with a few melismas and short spoken sections. The vocal part covers a wide range and is difficult. The accompaniment has many short motives that comment upon the character of the subject. There are unexpected, close harmonies in both lines, making both the accompaniment and vocal melody difficult to perform. 3. The Crazy Woman. Text by Gwendolyn Brooks. Range a-flat – a2. Both piano and vocal lines are difficult and do not support each other. The voice covers and extensive range, and has spoken sections. The piano line is less difficult than the vocal line, however, it has unconventional rhythms. There are many instructions - articulations, dynamics, phrasings, and style traits included in the score. 4.

Just Once. Text by Anne Sexton. Range a – g-shartp2. The piano line is difficult. The accompaniment has repeated, running eighth notes in a very fast tempo. The vocal line is supported by the piano and is moderate in difficulty. There is a wide range for the voice, and the tempo and syllabic text setting make singing a legato line difficult.

5.

Never More Will the Wind. Text by Hilda Doolittle. Range c1-e-flat2. There are constantly shifting meters, making the voice and piano parts difficult. The piano part often doubles the voice. A very short song with a harmonically

79 supportive piano accompaniment. 6. The Sage. Text by Denise Levertov. Range c1 – e-flat2. Shifting key centers, meters, and rhythmic motives make this song difficult for the pianist and singer. The vocal line is set disjunctly and is completely syllabic. The piano has shifting rhythmic ideas that do not coincide with the vocal melody. 7. O to be a Dragon. Text by Marianne Moore. Range g – f-shartp2. The piano and vocal lines are both difficult. The voice has Sprechstimme sections, and the sung sections are disjunct and rhythmically difficult. The piano line serves as a generator of energy for the song. The piano has many difficult gestures. 8. The Bustle in a House. Text by Emily Dickinson. Range e-flat1 – d2. The piano line is moderate in difficulty with many block, moving chords. The vocal line is deceptively difficult because of the necessary long lines, semi-large leaps, and suspension of the syllabically set text. 9. I Saw Eternity. Text by Louise Bogan. Range g – a-flat2. Both the piano and vocal lines are difficult. The piano has sparse, highly articulated chords mixed with quick passages of many notes. There is an extended piano postlude. The vocal line covers a wide range and is disjunct in motion. The text is set syllabically. There are explicit instructions in the score as to articulation, tempo and dynamics. 10. Night Practice. Text by May Swenson. Range g – g2. The vocal melody is comprised of long, sweeping phrases. The piano accompaniment keeps time with steady quarter notes in the bass throughout the song. The meter is 8/4. Both piano and voice are moderate in difficulty.

80 11. The Fish. Text by Elizabeth Bishop. Range a – e-flat2. Both piano and voice parts are difficult. The voice is set syllabically with lots of notated articulations, and long phrases covering a wide range. The piano is harmonically supportive of the voice, but it increases in rhythmic complexity throughout the song.

Briefly it Enters. A Song Cycle from poems of Jane Kenyon. Published in 1997 by Edward B. Marks Music. This piece is supported by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. For Benita Valente, soprano, Cynthia Raim, piano and Donald Hall in the memory of Jane Kenyon. For soprano and piano. 1. Who. Range d1-b2. 31 measures long, but difficult for voice and moderate for piano. The voice has long, disjunct phrases. The piano is sparse, but harmonically supportive. 2. The Clearing. Range e1 – a2. The melody in the voice has unexpected tonality, and the piano supports the voice. The piano is full of motion with extreme ranges used. The voice has many quick leaps. Both parts are difficult. 3. Otherwise. Range d1 – g2. The piano has repeated eighth note patterns, and the voice has expansive melodic phrases set syllabically. Both parts are difficult. 4. February: Thinking of Flowers. Range g1 – a2. The piano has repetitive 16th notes that are fast moving. The voice moves conjunctly, but has a high tessitura. The meter is 10/16, giving the music a flowing feeling. The text is set syllabically. Both piano and voice are difficult. 5. Twilight: After Haying. Range d-sharp1 – g-sharp2. Both piano and voice are difficult. The piano line has repetitive rhythms and the voice move primarily by

81 thirds. The tessitura is high. 6. Man Eating. Range e1 – g2. A motive is highly repetitive in the piano line. The voice is set syllabically with rather conjunct motion. The tessitura remains high. Both parts are moderate in difficulty level. 7. The Sick Wife. Range d-sharp1 – g2. The piano part is moderate in difficulty due to its repetitive nature and slow motion. The voice part is difficult because of the disjunct melody with sweeping motion and diminished dynamics through the top part of the range. 8. Peonies at Dusk. Range f1 – b-flat2. The tempo is set at a leisurely waltz. Both piano and vocal parts are difficult. The piano has many notes with difficult passage work. The voice has disjunct, long melodies. The tessitura is high. 9. Briefly it Enters, and Briefly Speaks. Range f1 – b-flat2. Both piano and vocal parts are difficult. The piano has many notes with syncopated rhythms, and it is very independent of the vocal line. The vocal part has long phrases, and it commonly moves by thirds. The rhythmic motion in the piano and vocal parts gains complexity throughout the song. The voice has large leaps at the end of the song.

Cabaret Songs, Volume 3. Texts by Arnold Weinstein. Published in 1997 by Edward B. Marks Music Company. 1. The Total Stranger in the Garden. Range: g – e-flat2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. Vocal part and accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. The vocal line has speech-like rhythms and text that is set

82 syllabically. The piano part has scalar motion in the right hand for the first part, followed by rolled, block chords. The song begins in a quick tempo, with a slow section at the end. 2. Love in the Thirties. Range: a-sharp – c-sharp2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. Vocal and piano parts are moderate. Text is a series of questions asked of a parent by a child; humorous. The text drives the song. The voice has a wide variety of rhythms to match the text. The piano accompaniment is secondary to the voice, and has melodic and rhythmic interest between vocal phrases. 3. Thius King of Orf. Range: no real pitches. Tessitura is non-applicable. Recommended for any voice. Vocal part is easy. Piano accompaniment is moderate. A very short song with no singing. The voice has Sprechstimme throughout, and the piano has a few chords to accent the voice. A unique, short song. 4. Miracle Song. Range: a – d2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for low to medium voices. Vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. Text is about all of the death encountered in daily life. The vocal melody is not harmonically supported by the accompaniment, but the vocal melody dominates. The piano has syncopated rhythms and extended harmonies in the chords. There are lyrical phrases with jazz-like rhythms. 5. Satisfaction. Range: c-sharp1 – d2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for medium to low voices. Vocal part is easy. Piano part is moderate. A short song with a text on simple pleasures. Many shifts in meter and tempo create a sense of

83 timelessness. The vocal line moves in steady eighth notes; because of the shifting meters, the singer must count well. The piano harmonically supports the voice. 6. Radical Sally. Dedicated to Dave Frishberg. Range: g – e-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium to low voices. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. Text is humorous on a stalker. The voice has many shifts in style that follows the narrative of the text. The piano has changing articulations and colorful harmonies in chords.

Cabaret Songs, Volume 4. Texts by Arnold Weinstein. Published in 1997 by Edward B. Marks Music Company. 1. Angles are the Highest Form of Virtue. Dedicated to Barbara Harris. Range: a – c2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for low voices. Vocal part is easy. Piano accompaniment is moderate. A short song marked ‘languorous’ in the score. The piano harmonically supports the voice, but has a secondary importance to the melody. The vocal phrases are very short. 2. Poet Pal of Mine. Range: g – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. The vocal line has stylized techniques, including Sprechstimme, glissandi, various articulation markings, and vocal colorations marked in the score. The piano mimics many of the vocal directions. The text is on a stereotypical poet and is humorous. 3. Can’t Sleep. Range: a – c2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for medium to low voices. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is

84 for mature singers, and is on love and longing. The piano has a repeated rocking rhythmic figure throughout. The vocal line has short, legato phrases. There is much emphasis on whole-tone motion. 4. At the Last Lousy Moments of Love. Range: a – d-flat2. Tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for medium to low voices. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is marked as a ‘slow march.’ The shifting meters, and intricate rhythmic motives in both piano and voice create difficulty in ensemble. The text requires an emotionally mature singer and is about an ending relationship. 5. Lady Luck. Range: b – d2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzosoprano. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderately difficult. The text is about luck and is most important in the song. The text is set syllabically, and the piano has text painting. There is emphasis on chromatic motion in voice and piano. The song is tonal with dissonances. The texture is transparent. 6. Blue. Range: g – c2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for low voices. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. Text is repetitive and is about being in a calm love. The piano has sustained chords under the steady movement of the vocal melody. The piano is supportive harmonically to the vocal line; the rhythm of the vocal line creates the momentum. The song is tonal and tuneful.

Lime Jello Marshmallow Cottage Cheese Surprise. Text by William Bolcom. Published by Edward B. Marks Music in 1990. Dedicated to Joan Morris. Range:

85 spoken text throughout; pitches are marked as ad lib. The tessitura is determined by the performers. Recommended for female voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is a tonal, cabaret song. The entire vocal part has approximately notated rhythms and suggested relative heights of pitches. The text is a humorous description of dishes at a potluck of a women’s group. The piano accompaniment has block chords with diatonic chords.

Ancient Cabaret. Texts by Arnold Weinstein. Published by Edward B. Marks Music in 2001. Dedicated to Joan. Composed for medium voice. Should be performed as a cycle. The texts are humorous verses about visual art. 1. On a Statue of a Runner. Range: b-flat – d2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. A humorous examination of a bronze statue of an athlete. There is text painting in the voice. The piano has steady sixteenth and thirty-second notes. The tempo is fast, and the song is very short. 2. Unlucky Eutichus. Range: c1 – d-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is easy. The piano accompaniment is easy. The tempo is slow, and the song is extremely short. The piano accompaniment has block chords in the left hand, and the right hand does not play. The vocal melody has chromaticism and is repetitious. 3. An Encaustic Painting. Range: a – d21. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about a painting of a prostitute. There are complex rhythms in the vocal and

86 piano parts. The piano accompaniment has many extended chords with chromatic harmonies. The voice has irregular phrase shapes and lengths. 4. Timomarchus’s Picture of Medea, in Rome. Range: a – d2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal melody is driven by the text, with irregular phrase lengths and angular phrase shapes. The text is set syllabically. The piano accompaniment has many sustained block chords in the right hand, and a moving bass line in the left hand. 5. Praxiteles’ Aphrodite. Range: b – c2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The tempo is moderate, and dynamics and articulations are clearly marked in the score. The vocal melody has many descending arpeggiated chords, and it has chromatic, conjunct motion low in the tessitura.

From the Diary of Sally Hemings. Texts by Sandra Seaton. Published by Edward B. Marks Music in 2001. Dedicated to the memory of Flournoy Miller. Composed for medium voice; recommended for mezzo-soprano. An emotionally mature singer is necessary due to implied sexual content. 1. “They say I was born old…” Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is short, has a moderate tempo and is in triple meter. The text is about a young girl overhearing adult conversations. The piano accompaniment is built on a quickly

87 moving bass line. The vocal melody has repeated motives and intervallic content. 2. “Martha and Maria…” Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is fast. The vocal melody has complex rhythms. The vocal phrases are of varying short lengths, and the line is angular. The piano accompaniment has extended chords with much chromaticism. The piano part alternates between block chords and moving eighth notes. 3. “White waves.” Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is lengthy. The piano and vocal parts are rhythmically complex and chromatic. Both piano and voice have text painting. There are many words, and diction may pose a problem for the singer. 4. “Paris, c’est la ville vivante.” Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal phrases are long and lyrical. The vocal melody has many sustained high pitches. There are French phrases within the English text. The piano accompaniment has steadily moving eighth notes and much chromaticism. 5. “The master brings music to his sitting room…” Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song has several French phrases. The text has implied strong emotions that are interpreted through dynamic levels and dissonance in the voice and piano. 6. “I was carrying a tray when he called me.” Range: e1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate.

88 The text has implied sexual abuse, and requires an emotionally mature singer. The vocal melody has regular phrase lengths with arching melodic contours. The piano accompaniment has oscillating intervals that do not progress in harmony. 7. “They say I was born old…” Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There are vast changes in dynamics, tempi, and articulations in the vocal and piano parts. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The text inflection is set well to the rhythmic stress. The text is full of rage. 8. “Come back to America.” Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text requires an emotionally mature singer due to implied sexual content. The voice has a quasi-recitative style. The piano accompaniment has repetitive motives and is highly chromatic. 9. “Back home in Monticello…” Range: e1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the return of Sally to Monticello, and she is pregnant with her first child. The text requires an emotionally mature singer. The vocal melody is disjunct and chromatic. The piano accompaniment has a repetitive rhythmic motive. 10. “Purple Hyacinth begins to bloom.” Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with much chromaticism and dissonance in the vocal and piano parts. The vocal melody is not harmonically supported by the piano accompaniment, requiring the singer to be musically independent. The text is

89 about the role of Sally at Monticello after the birth of the baby. 11. “My sister ghost…” Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The relationship of Sally and Thomas Jefferson is explored, as well as the psychology of Sally in the text. The piano and voice are rhythmic. The harmonies are colorful and use much dissonance. 12. “Peonies, a perfume box.” Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody is rhythmically complex and non-repetitive. The piano accompaniment is sparse, and short motives punctuate the ends of vocal phrases. The song is tonal with unexpected harmonies and dissonance. 13. “Mister, our child is frail.” Range: c1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The tempo is slow and the texture is sparse. The text is on the death of her baby. The piano accompaniment has a descending chordal pattern that continues through the entire song. The vocal melody has rhythmic complexities that fit the inflection of the speech. A very somber song. 14. “A dark winter blue-black evening…” Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is in triple meter and the tempo is moderately fast. The piano accompaniment has much fluid rhythmic motion throughout. The vocal melody has long phrases. The piano does not double the vocal part and moves independently in rhythms and harmonies.

90 15. “Old shoe! Old shoe!” Range: e1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has a dense texture. The vocal melody is angular and has difficult intervals to navigate. There is much text. 16. “A wild man home from the woods.” Range: c1 – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is marked as ‘restless.’ The text is full of worry, and the mood is musically portrayed in the incessant motion of the piano. The vocal phrases are irregular in length and are independent of the piano accompaniment. 17. “Papers!” Range: b – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is full of anxiety in the text, and the music portrays this in the voice and piano. The rhythms of the voice and piano are erratic and do not align. The piano accompaniment comments at the ends of the vocal phrases. There is much chromaticism. 18. “Night watch till early morn.” “If I take my freedom…” “Dear children…” Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is the longest of the entire cycle. The vocal part makes reference to the initial song of the cycle. The harmonies are lush and colorful with much dissonance. The rhythmic complexities of the vocal and piano parts do not align, and ensemble may be a problem. A very passionate song.

91 CHAPTER VIII JOHN BUCCHINO

Biography and Style John Bucchino, born in 1952, lives and works in New York City. Bucchino is a composer and lyricist whose works have been popular off-Broadway and in New York City’s cabaret scene since the 1980s. Recently, Bucchino has become more visible, with several recordings produced and a songbook published. Liza Minnelli, Judy Collins, Audra McDonald, Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Feinstein, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic are noted musicians who have recorded Bucchino’s songs. Bucchino’s compositions are performed in famous venues including Carnegie Hall, The Sydney Opera House, and the Metropolitan Opera. Bucchino has earned top honors for his compositions, including the Johnny Mercer Songwriter Award, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Foundation’s Richard Rodgers New Horizons Award, the Jonathan Larson Award, and the Kleban Award. His compositions include several off-Broadway musicals, a Broadway musical, and a score for the DreamWorks animated film, Joseph, King of Dream. Bucchino’s style bridges musical theater, cabaret, and classical art song style. He composes vocal melodies that dominate the texture of the songs, and he often writes the lyrics for his songs. The texts are emotional and intimate, and generally colloquial. The forms of Bucchino’s songs are determined by the text structure. The musical structures are typically refrains separated by a bridge.

92 Bucchino’s harmonic language shifts from predictable pop-influenced progressions to more sophisticated, unpredictable harmonic rhythm that is driven by the text. Many of Bucchino’s songs have chromatic passages. Piano interludes are often included in the songs. Complex rhythmic motives are used throughout the songs.

Song Annotations A Powerful Man. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: a – d2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. Recommended for medium low voices. The text is instructive on pleasing a corporate boss in order to keep a job. The text is colloquial. The vocal melody is limited in range and has a basic harmonic structure. The piano accompaniment doubles the vocal melody throughout. The meter shifts in several places in order to fit the text.

If I Ever Say I’m Over You. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: e – a1. The tessitura is low. Recommended for low voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is in first person and recounts the dissolving of a relationship. The tempo is moderate. The rhythmic motion in the piano accompaniment provides momentum. The vocal phrases are short and have syncopated motives and triplet figures. The harmonic rhythm is quick.

In a Restaurant by the Sea. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: c1 – c2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices.

93 The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The vocal melody is lyrical and expressive. The piano accompaniment is repetitive and descends in pitch through each phrase. The text is a simple description of eating at a restaurant while being in love.

It Feels Like Home. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: a-flat – b1. The tessitura is limited. Recommended for low voices. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is a first person narrative of moving in with a lover. The vocal phrases are short and have a limited range. The text is set syllabically, and the rhythmic figures suggest the spoken speech inflection. There is a short piano interlude. The song has repetitious melodic, rhythmic and textual material in the piano and voice.

Sepia Life. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: g – a1. The tessitura is low. Recommended for low voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice for much of the song. The song is tonal with chromaticism. The meter shifts frequently. The voice has much text, and the style is conversational. The text is a story in third person about infidelity in a marriage. The song requires an emotionally mature singer.

Sweet Dreams. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: g – c2. The tessitura is low. Recommended for low voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is tonal with

94 predictable harmonic progressions. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice for much of the song. The vocal phrases are generally short and arching in contour. The piano and voice have many syncopated rhythmic ideas.

Taking the Wheel. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is fast with a strong forward momentum. The piano accompaniment is rhythmically active. The vocal melody has some complex rhythmic figures with many repeated high pitches.

That Smile. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: g – g2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about falling in love, and the sentiments are very positive. The tempo is fast, and the song has high energy. The piano accompaniment has highly repetitive rhythmic figures that give the song momentum. The song is long with much text. The voice is often static in melodic motion. The voice has some large leaps and sustained high pitches.

The Song With the Violins. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: a – d1. Recommended for medium low female voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with some dissonance and chromaticism. The text is a first person account of being stood up on a date. The vocal phrases are irregular in length and melodic shape. The piano and voice

95 imitate a violin in places. The melody is repetitive and memorable.

This Moment. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: c1 – d2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is about appreciating the present because life changes quickly. The tempo is moderate with a lyrical lilt. The vocal phrases are short and detached. The song is tonal and tuneful.

Unexpressed. Text by John Bucchino. Published in 2000 by Williamson Music. Range: g – d2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium low voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a simple, almost naïve, first person narrative of being in love with someone. The harmonies are simple with some extended harmonies. The voice has ornamentation notated in the score. The meter shifts periodically between groupings of four and six beats. There is a brief piano interlude.

96 CHAPTER IX TOM CIPULLO

Biography and Style Tom Cipullo is rapidly gaining a respected reputation as a song composer. He has composed more than 150 songs and numerous vocal chamber pieces. Although he is often identified as a composer of vocal music, Cipullo continues to explore various genres, including works for piano, orchestra, brass and percussion. Cipullo (b. 1960) completed his undergraduate education in composition at Hofstra University, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, graduating summa cum laude. Cipullo continued his education at Boston University, where he completed his Master’s degree in composition. His teachers of composition and orchestration include David Del Tredici, Elie Siegmeister and Albert Tepper. Cipullo has received many compositional awards, including the MacDowell Colony Award, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Composition Award, Meet the Composer Award, Yaddo Residency Award and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts Award. He has earned favorable reviews nationally and internationally. His works have appeared in major concert halls, and he has received commissions from Mirror Visions Ensemble, I Cantori di New York and the New York Festival of Song. Cipullo has collaborated with many reputable singers and scholars such as Paul Sperry, Hope Hudson, Mary Ann Hart and Jeanne Golan, and Albany Records has produced several recordings of Cipullo’s works. He is also a founding member of the Friends and Enemies of New Music, an organization that produces concerts featuring American

97 Composers. Cipullo is currently working on several projects, including a song cycle for soprano and a work for baritone and chamber orchestra. Cipullo has an eclectic style that reflects his eclectic choice of texts. He marries word to music closely. The vocal melodies are generally lyrical, and the phrases have arching lines. The text is set with his intended inflections reflected in the phrasing. Cipullo’s music has humor and wit, which he conveys through quotation and pastiche, interjections in the accompaniment, and rhythms that imply specific text inflections. His vocal works are highly tonal, with dissonance and chromaticism used to illustrate the mood of the text. The accompaniments often have lush colorations in the extended chord structure. Cipullo’s music can be described as being neo-Romantic in style because of the extended, dense harmonies and lyrical phrasing. He utilizes complex textures in the accompaniments that are simultaneously transparent, which are reminiscent of Impressionism. Bernstein-like syncopations infiltrate his songs, particularly in the accompaniments. Because of the mixture of styles found in Cipullo’s music, his work can span the labels of art song and musical theater.

Song Annotations The Land of Nod. Texts by Alice Wirth Gray. Published by Classical Vocal Reprints in 1994. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Composed for high voice. Recommended for tenor. 1. The Land of Nod. Range: e1 - g-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. Much of

98 the character of the song is established through the rhythmic motives and articulations that correspond with the text. There is yelling notated in the score for the singer. The text is about the nature of nighttime dreams. Text comprehensibility is facilitated through the shifting meters, rhythmic groupings of duple and triple figures in the vocal and piano parts. 2. A Death in the Family. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a dream of poisoning one’s mother. The text could be presented as humorous; the humor is ironic and would be, in many cases, distasteful. There is much spoken dialogue by the singer. The song is rhythmically and metrically complex in the voice and piano. 3. Deer in Mist and Almonds. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There is much syncopation in the vocal melody. The piano accompaniment has stacked chords with wide ranges, which creates a sense of expanse and sparseness in the music. The text is a dismal description of nature in the spring. The voice has complex rhythmic motives and static melodic motion. This is the shortest song of the group. 4. On a Nineteenth Century Color Lithograph of Red Riding Hood by the Artist J.H. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is extremely long, and it is musically and dramatically complex. The text is full of vivid images, and it includes passages on the traditional fairytale, along with passages about Nazi interrogations and

99 paranoia. There are highly complex rhythmic figures in the voice and piano, and ensemble proves difficult. The song requires stamina in both performers. Emotional maturity is necessary.

Climbing. Published by Classical Vocal Reprints in 2000. Dedicated to Jeanette Blakeney. Composed for mezzo-soprano or baritone. The songs should be sung as a cycle; many of the songs are musically connected by several measures of accompaniment. 1. Text by Phyllis Wheatley and Robert Hayden. Range: a – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Both the piano and vocal parts cover a wide range of pitches and dynamics. The meter shifts many times throughout the song. There is syncopation in the piano and voice in various places. The voice has sustained high pitches and quickly changing dynamics and articulations. The text is very dramatic and requires an emotionally mature singer. The subject of the text is slavery. 2. Text by Countee Cullen. Range: c1- g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitchcentric with much chromaticism in the vocal and piano parts. The text is about God’s ways. The text is set very well; word stress and inflection is created through the use of syncopation and rhythmic motives. The piano accompaniment has a repetitious rhythmic motive throughout the song. 3. Text by Countee Cullen. Range: b – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderately low.

100 The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the remembrance of a racial slur. The tempo is marked ‘bright, jaunty.’ The piano has a single line in the left hand and two voices moving in parallel thirds in the right hand. The voice has sustained rhythms over the quickly moving accompaniment; the lyric vocal melody aids in the comprehensibility of the text. 4. Text by Langston Hughes. Range: d1 – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The voice is marked as ‘free’ and ‘quasi-recitative.’ The song is very short, and the text is very brief. The text is about receiving and writing a letter to God. The tempo is very fast and the dynamics in the voice and piano are very loud. 5. Text by Robert Hayden. Range: e – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has four-voiced counterpoint for much of the song. The tempo is slow and there is much rubato throughout. The text paints a picture of a river emptying into an ocean. There is much syncopation in the voice and piano. The voice and piano are in the character of a swung rhythm. 6.

Text by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Range: a – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is very short, lasting a mere ten measures. The voice is quasi-recitative. The piano accompaniment is primarily rolled chordal clusters in both hands. The text paints a picture of dawn.

7. Text by Langston Hughes. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The constant changing of

101 meters in the piano and vocal part demands excellent ensemble between the pianist and vocalist. Dynamics, tempi and articulations are in constant flux in both piano and voice. The text is on motivation to keep achieving.

How to Get Heat Without Fire. Texts by Marilyn Kallet. Published by Classical Vocal Reprints in 2000. Composed for soprano voice. The songs should be sung as a cycle. 1. Why I Wear My Hair Long. Range: e-flat1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric with much chromaticism and close dissonance between the piano and voice. The text is sexual and requires an emotionally mature singer. 2. Saying Goodbye. Range: b – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody is pitchcentric and highly chromatic. The piano accompaniment is independent of the vocal melody, and the accompaniment shares an almost equal role to the vocal melody. The meter, rhythm, and melodic shape of the piano and voice are derived from the natural speech patterns. The text is on the final parting of lovers. 3. The Pocketbook. Dedicated to Donna Doyle. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is very lengthy and requires stamina from the pianist and vocalist. The tempo is fast throughout. The song is tonal with much chromaticism and dissonance. The text setting is excellent. The piano accompaniment has much melodic and rhythmic interest, but does not interfere with the vocal declamation of the text.

102 4. How to Get Heat Without Fire. Dedicated to Wendy Rawlings. Range: g – bflat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is slow and expressive. The vocal melody has long, sweeping lines. The piano has expansive chordal figures that are secondary in importance to the text of the voice. The vocal melody has many high, sustained pitches throughout the song. The text is about sustaining romantic love. This is a very emotional text and song.

Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House. Texts by Billy Collins. Published by Oxford in 2001. Recommended for medium voice. Should be performed as a cycle. The humorous perspective in the texts matches the musical wit. 1. Desire. Dedicated to Ann and Paul Sperry. Range: b – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The meter shifts frequently to accommodate the text setting. The voice has long, expansive phrases, and the piano accompaniment creates warm, lush colorful harmonies to support the voice. A very romantic song. 2. Embrace. Range: c-sharp1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is in a tango style, and the piano and voice are highly rhythmic. The text is clever and requires performers with a sense of humor. 3. Cancer. Range: b – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is slow and expressive. The piano accompaniment has many sustained block chords with

103 extended harmonies. The vocal melody has the rhythmic motion, and the voice is melodically exposed. The text is a direct, emotional exploration of reactions to the word, ‘cancer.’ 4. Flames. Range: f1 – g2. Tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is humorous, about Smokey the Bear lighting forest fires. The piano accompaniment is rhythmically complex. The piano accompaniment harmonically supports the voice. The pianist and vocalist must have excellent senses of humor and acting capabilities. 5. Putting Down the Cat. Range: c-sharp1 – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has several repetitious motives that sound much like a cat walking on the piano. The vocal melody is disjunct and has much syncopation. The tempo is slow. The text is a description of euthanizing a cat, and the narrator has a slight sense of ironic humor. 6. Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House. Dedicated to Rocky. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with much dissonance and unexpected harmonic progressions. The text recounts a story of a neighbor’s barking dog. The text inflection is set exquisitely in the music, and there is text painting. Articulations and dynamics are carefully notated in the piano and voice. There are multiple quotations of works by Beethoven in the piano part.

Late Summer. Published by Classical Vocal Reprints in 2001. Composed for high or

104 medium-high voices. 1. Crickets. Text by William Heyen. Dedicated to Meagan Miller. Range: a – c3. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is slow. The singer must sustain the lowest and highest pitches over several beats at various points in the song. The singer must navigate extremely large leaps within phrases. Dynamics are marked explicitly in the voice and piano. There is text painting in the voice and piano. The text is a description of the crickets and lightning bugs on a summer evening. 2. …Summer into Autumn Slips. Text by Emily Dickinson. Range: c-sharp1 – gsharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the change of seasons, and it could easily be interpreted as another life change. Tempi and dynamics are precisely indicated throughout the score. The tempo is marked ‘fast, but expressive and free.’ There is much rubbing of duple groupings verses triple groupings in the voice and piano. The piano accompaniment has much rhythmic motion, and the voice has a lyrical melody that is supported harmonically, but not doubled, by the piano. The vocal phrases often begin on the highest pitch and descend over the course of the phrase. 3. Touch Me. Text by Stanley Kunitz. Dedicated to Karen Holvik. Range: c1 – aflat2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for tenor. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody is disjunct, and the vocal phrases often begin syncopated. The piano accompaniment has parallel octaves in the right hand, with a recurring descending motive. Dynamics and

105 tempi are expressive and vary widely, giving the song a neo-romantic style.

Glances. Texts by Agata Tuszynska. Published by Classical Vocal Reprints in 2002. Dedicated to Mary Ann Hart. Composed for mezzo-soprano or baritone. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Echo. Range: c-sharp1 – c2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is very brief. The text is a vague definition of an echo. The vocal melody is unified by a recurring motive. The piano accompaniment has much syncopation and does not rhythmically align with the voice. 2. Impossible. Range: e1 – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is very brief with one line of ironic text. The meter shifts at every bar line. The song is atonal. The piano accompaniment has similar rhythmic motion to that of the voice, but the vocal melody is not doubled. 3. Unbroken. Range: a – e-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The meter shifts at nearly every bar line. The song is atonal with much dissonance throughout. The score has specific tempi and dynamic changes indicated in the piano and voice. The text is abstract and brief. 4. Between Verses. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast. The song is the longest of the cycle. The text is lengthy, and there is no repetition of text in

106 the song. The text is abstract. The piano has running sixteenth notes in the right hand, while the left hand has two voices of counterpoint. The song is atonal. The voice has a disjunct melody with sustained high pitches. 5. A Plea for Mercy. Range: b – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is atonal. The song begins with a substantial piano prelude. The text is short and vague with a repetitive phrase. The repetitive phrase has a similar, but not identical, motive each time it is reiterated. 6. Glances. Range: g – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is brief and abstract. The piano and voice are rhythmically and metrically complex. Ensemble may pose a problem because of the independence of the voice and piano. The song is atonal. 7. Echo 2. Range: c1 – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast, and the piano accompaniment has many sixteenth notes in both hands. The vocal melody sores over the piano accompaniment. The voice has sustained high pitches. The text is identical to the first song in the cycle. The music is not similar to that of the initial song.

Drifts and Shadows. Texts by Linda Pastan. Published by Classical Vocal Reprints in 2005. Dedicated to Tobe Malawista, Richard Lalli and Scott Murphee. Composed for baritone. 1. Blizzard. Range: c# - f1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately

107 difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The poem is a vivid description of a blizzard. The meter shifts frequently, and the tempo is marked “presto possible.” Extreme dynamic changes occur throughout the song, with an emphasis on forte and louder; the dynamic changes are clearly marked in the piano and voice. Because of the loud dynamics and the heavy articulations, the song has a boisterous character. 2. The Almanac of Last Things. Range: c – g-flat1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is slow, with many ritardandi marked in the score. The text is a list of images that are the narrator’s favorites. The piano accompaniment has many broken chordal figures. The vocal line has conjunct melodic motion. The voice and piano often contain triplet against duplet rhythmic figures. 3. In Back of. Range: d-flat – f1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The melancholy text is on the inevitability of parting ways. The tempo is marked presto, and the meter is in constant flux. The piano accompaniment has repetitive sixteenth note figures, and the voice has a sustained melody. The text is set syllabically. The song is tonal with much chromaticism. 4. Subway. Range: B – f1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast, and there are many notated accents and changing articulations in the piano and voice. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice in places. The rhythmic integrity of the song is the most difficult aspect of the piano and voice.

108 5. The Arithmetic of Alternation. Range: B – f1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is slow and requires excellent breath support in the singer. Fluctuations in dynamics and tempi are clearly marked in the vocal and piano parts. The vocal melody has many large leaps that are not doubled in the piano accompaniment. The piano accompaniment takes on a role equal to that of the vocal melody throughout the song.

Long Island Songs. Texts by William Heyen. Published in 2005 by Classical Vocal Reprints. Composed for tenor or soprano voices. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Invocation. Range: c-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with much chromaticism. The text is a recollection of one’s object of affection during a sleepless night. There is text painting in the voice and piano. The voice and piano act independently of one another; both parts share similar rhythmic and melodic motives throughout. 2. The Odor of Pear. Dedicated to Christopher Cipullo. Range: e1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about nostalgia for the smell of a ripe pear tree in the summer, which may be interpreted as a metaphor for nostalgia for something or someone else. The tempo is as fast as possible. The piano accompaniment has monotonous triplet eighth note figures. The piano accompaniment has an introduction, a postlude, and several interludes. The piano accompaniment sets

109 the mood of the song with the incessant repetition. The vocal melody is conjunct and is static in melodic and rhythmic motion. 3. The Nesconset Crickets. Range: b-flat – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a remembrance of crickets’ singing during a summer night. The piano accompaniment is sparse, and the accompaniment contains rests or sustained chords during the vocal melody. The vocal melody has scalar motion, and is based on octatonic scales. 4. The Crane at Gibbs’ Pond. Dedicated to Lois Cipullo. Range: c-sharp1 – gsharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song has a slow tempo and legato character in the vocal and piano parts. The piano accompaniment has a very wide range on the keyboard, creating an expansive color palette. The text is on an observance of a solitary, seemingly melancholy crane in a pond at nightfall. The piano and voice are of equal importance rhythmically and melodically. The vocal melody has long, arching, lyrical phrases.

110 CHAPTER X JOHN CORIGLIANO

Biography and Style John Corigliano was born in 1938 in New York City into an Italian American family with a strong musical background. His father was a long-time concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, and his mother was an accomplished concert pianist. Corigliano began studying music at a young age. He studied composition at Columbia University and the Manhattan School of Music with Otto Luening, Paul Creston and Vittorio Giannini. Corigliano has won numerous prestigious awards throughout his career. In 1964, Corigliano won the chamber music competition at the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds in Italy. Corigliano has won awards from Meet the Composer, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Guggenheim Foundation. Corigliano has had commissions from James Galway, New York Philharmonic, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, and the Metropolitan Opera. Corigliano composes in a variety of genres that include three symphonies, eight concerti, chamber, vocal and choral music, one opera, and several film scores. His output numbers over 100 works, and he is considered one of the most prolific and highly celebrated American composers over the past several decades. Corigliano won an Academy Award for his score for the film The Red Violin. Corigliano has won a Pulitzer Prize, a Grammy Award, and a Grawemeyer Award. Corigliano is currently on faculty at the Julliard School of Music, and he holds the

111 title of Distinguished Professor of Music at Lehman College at the City University of New York. Corigliano, along with his long-time partner Mark Adamo, divides his time between Manhattan and Kent Cliffs, New York. Corigliano has a very diverse style of composition. His songs tend toward a high level of difficulty for both singer and pianist. He favors dissonant, dense harmonies in his accompaniment, although most of his works are tonal. Corigliano sets texts in complex, shifting rhythmic units and meters that differ between the piano and voice. Ensemble can be an issue when performing his songs, as the rhythmic motives and syncopations used are difficult to align. Corigliano writes lyrical, descriptive vocal melodies in his songs. The phrase lengths are generally determined by the text. Corigliano utilizes text painting in his vocal works. The vocal parts often contain large intervals and wide tessituras.

Song Annotations Jack and Jill. Text by William M. Hoffman. Published in 1994 by Schirmer. Range: a – d2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium low voices. The vocal part is easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The piece was composed for the Gay Games8. The text is about the acceptance of all kinds of romantic love. The melody is tuneful with a lyrical line. The harmonies are simple with a moderately paced harmonic rhythm. The accompaniment doubles the vocal melody throughout.

8

“The mission of the Federation of Gay Games is to promote equality through the organization of the premiere international Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender and gay-friendly sports and cultural event.” http://www.gaygames.com/index.php?id=56

112 Dodecaphonia. Text by Mark Adamo. Published in 1997 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Joan Morris and Bill Bolcom. Range: f – f-flat2. The tessitura is moderately low. Composed for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is very humorous and contains many popular and classical musical jokes. Excellent acting skill is required. There are wide leaps and difficult intervals to sing. The piece is lengthy. The pianist is also part of the drama. A good final selection for a recital.

Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan. Texts by Bob Dylan. Published in 2000 by G. Shirmer. Dedicated to Mark Adamo. 1. Prelude: Mr. Tambourine Man. Range: a-sharp – a2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are difficult. Text setting is well done. The song is lengthy and requires stamina. Metrically and rhythmically challenging for voice and piano. The vocal line is lyrical; it has many large leaps. The piano has several interludes with rhythms and melodic motives that suggest a tambourine. 2. Clothes Line. Range: b-flat – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium voices. Vocal part and piano accompaniment are difficult. The song is atonal and very lyrical in the voice and piano. The voice has large intervals. There are shifting, irregular meters and complex rhythmic units with syncopations. The text is set syllabically. The voice has the melody throughout. 3. Blowin’ in the Wind. Range: c1 – b-flat2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate.

113 Atonal. The piano part is minimalistic with patterns of contracting scales. The vocal line is not doubled by the piano and is lyrical with difficult intervals to accomplish. The tempo is steady and somewhat slow throughout the song. There are many shifts in dynamics. The stable simplicity of the accompaniment helps to highlight the vocal line. 4. Masters of War. Range: b – a-flat2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Many shifts in meter and the use of complex meters create a sense of timelessness. Accents and scalar motion occur regularly in the vocal and piano lines. Atonal. Shifts in meter and tempi match the text stress. The piano has indicated tone clusters to be determined by the pianist. 5. All Along the Watchtower. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium high voices. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Atonal. The tempo is marked ‘hard and driven.’ The steady, accented rhythms in the piano create momentum. The piano has several interludes and is of equal importance as the voice. The voice has steady rhythms and lyrical phrases that are not doubled by the piano. 6. Chimes of Freedom. Range: b – a. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice has several unaccompanied recitative-like sections; the voice has several passages without designated rhythms. The piano actively imitates bells. The song is atonal. The vocal line is lyrical. Ensemble may be a problem because of the syncopations in the piano. Stamina is required in this lengthy song.

114 7. Postlude: Forever Young. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium to high voices. Vocal part is difficult. Piano part is moderate. Much of this song is unaccompanied. The meter shifts regularly to accommodate the text setting. This is a very lyrical song and is pitch-centric. The piano has sustained block chords. Ensemble may prove difficult because of the freedom of the voice with intermittent piano accompaniment. A slow, poignant song.

Irreverent Heart. Text by E.Y. Harburg. Published by G. Schirmer in 2001. Dedicated to Bobby. This song is part of the Metropolitan Museums 21st Century Song Commissions. Range: b-flat – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a declaration of emotional distance from one’s significant other as a means of self-preservation. The vocal phrases are irregular in length in order to match the text inflection. The song has a rounded binary form. The middle, contrasting section is in a lilting rhythm that is charming.

Marvelous Invention. Text by Mark Adamo. Published in 2001 by G. Schirmer. Commissioned by the New York Festival of Song in collaboration with Meet the Composer. Range: g-sharp – e2. Tessitura is low. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. Text is very clever and is about listening to recorded music rather than live performances. It is tonal with dissonances. There are jazz influences in the harmonies and rhythms. The voice has difficult intervals

115 to cover quickly. There are many shifts in meter, dynamics, style in vocal and piano parts. It is a humorous piece.

Shatter Me, Music. Text by R.M. von Rilke, adapted by Mark Adamo. Published by G. Schirmer in 2003. Dedicated to Renee Fleming. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. Composed for unaccompanied soprano voice. The vocal part is difficult. The song is very short. The text is about the power of music as a means to express emotions. There is much text painting. The song is highly chromatic, and it requires an independent singer with rhythmic and intervallic precision. The song would be powerful as a beginning or finale in a recital.

116 CHAPTER XI JOHN FRANTZEN

Biography and Style John Frantzen was born in 1964 in Maquoketa, Iowa. As a high school student, Frantzen attended the University of Iowa summer music camp, which is when he decided he wanted to be a professional musician. Frantzen graduated from Arizona State University with a degree in trombone performance and instrumental music education. Frantzen completed his Master’s degree at Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Richard Danielpour. Other teachers include John Heiss and W.A. Mathieu. Frantzen is comfortable composing in many genres. He composes works for orchestra, wind ensemble, various chamber ensembles, electro-acoustic ensemble, choral ensembles and solo voice. His works also include one opera and many film scores. Frantzen has had prestigious commissions from Manhattan School of Music, the Cambridge Symphony Orchestra and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, among others. Frantzen’s compositions have been performed throughout the United States and Europe. Frantzen has won awards including the G. Schirmer Young Americans Band Competition, the Penfield Music Commission Project, an American Society of Composers Award, Authors and Publishers’ Standard Grant and a Subito Grant from the San Francisco Bay Area Chapter of the American Composers’ Forum. Frantzen currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Frantzen’s song style is consistently neo-Romantic, demonstrated in lush, tonal harmonies. The songs have tuneful, memorable vocal melodies. The vocal melodies are

117 lyrical and have phrase shapes and lengths determined by the textual phrase lengths. The vocal parts have high or wide tessituras, and large leaps are common. Frantzen uses syncopation and repetitive rhythmic motives in the piano and voice. The piano accompaniments create the general mood of each piece, while not using specific text painting. Frantzen’s song repertoire is small, but worthy of study by the discerning singer and pianist.

Song Annotations O Captain! My Captain! Text by Walt Whitman. Published by Frantzen Music Press in 2001. Range: d – b1. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for tenor. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal and has several key changes. The texture in the piano accompaniment increases in density throughout the song as the tension in the text builds. The vocal melody has many large leaps. The vocal phrase lengths and shapes vary according to the text. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal melody and doubles it in places.

Four Frost Songs. Texts by Robert Frost. Published by Frantzen Music Press in 2006. Dedicated to Jerry. Recommended for baritone. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. The Pasture. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The tempo is fast, and the score is marked “flowing.” The piano accompaniment has much rhythmic fluidity. The song is tonal. The piano harmonically supports the vocal melody. The text is set syllabically. Rhythmic and melodic motives are repeated in the

118 voice and piano. 2. October. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment creates the atmosphere of the song, but it remains secondary in importance to the vocal melody. Tempo, dynamic and character changes occur regularly throughout the song in both the voice and piano. The text is about the month of October being the end of one season and the beginning of another; it could be interpreted as a metaphor for one’s life. 3. The Vantage Point. Range: b – a-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a reflection on the lives of men. The vocal melody alternates between long, legato phrases and short, fragmented phrases. The piano accompaniment has several sections of dense counterpoint, alternating with sparse, arpeggiated sections. There is syncopation in the piano and voice. 4. To the Thawing Wind. Range: d-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has many short, repetitious rhythmic units and syncopated motives with much articulation marked in the score. The vocal melody is independent of the piano, with long, lyrical phrases and syncopated rhythmic ideas. The singer must be independent and not reliant on the piano. The song is very dramatic.

119 CHAPTER XII ZINA GOLDRICH

Biography and Style Marcy Heisler and Zina Goldrich met in 1992 and began collaborating in 1993 as a lyricist and composer duo. Currently living in New York City, the two have recently become very popular in the contemporary music scene. Goldrich and Heisler have won numerous awards and accolades for their talents as individuals and as an artistic partnership. Together, they were the first women to ever receive the Fred Ebb Award for Musical Theatre Songwriting in 2009. Along with many freestanding songs, Goldrich and Heisler have composed five full-length musicals. Ever After is the most current of the duo’s musicals. Top Secret Personal Beeswax: The Life and Times of Junie B Jones has been very successful, with two national tours and an off-Broadway run in the summer of 2004. The duo earned a Lucille Lortel Award nomination for Junie B Jones. Goldrich and Heisler created Dear Edwina and Dear Edwina Junior, which have been performed across the United States and Europe. Dear Edwina won the partners a nomination for the 2009 Drama Desk Awards for Outstanding Lyrics and Music. Goldrich and Heisler have also collaborated with authors Charlie Shanian and Shari Simpson to create the musical, Adventures in Love. Goldrich and Heisler have created original songs for the television series Murphy Brown, Three Sisters, and for Disney Theatricals, Nickelodeon and PBS. Their works have been featured at Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, The Ford Center of

120 Performing Arts, the Toyota Comedy Festival, the Chicago Humanities Festival, and Montreal’s “Just Pour Rire” Comedy Festival. Goldrich and Heisler are independently active as professionals. Zina Goldrich studied with Jerry Goldsmith at the University of Southern California in the Scoring for Motion Picture and Television program. She has received a Jonathan Larson grant and numerous other awards. She has played keyboards in many Broadway productions, including Avenue Q, Oklahoma and Titanic. Currently, Goldrich is scoring episodes of Wonderpants for Nickelodeon and Third and Bird for the BBC. Marcy Heisler has worked on many projects for Disney, including contributing songs to Johnny and the Sprites, Pooh’s Learning Adventures and The D Show. She has adapted new versions of 101 Dalmatians, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and The Jungle Book for Disney Theatricals. Heisler has also collaborated with Michael Picton on music for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus 137th Edition. The songs created by Goldrich and Heisler exude witty lyrics by Heisler and accompaniments filled with playfulness by Goldrich. The songs range in style from musical theater to cabaret to rock and roll. Goldrich utilizes predictable, pop-based harmonies in much of the music, with a general formal structure of verses alternating with a chorus. The basic harmonies and repetitive verses and chorus place the importance on clarity of text. Repetitious, lively rhythmic units often allow for the singer to embellish the vocal lines. The vocal melodies are repetitive and generally remain in a low tessitura. At times, the song endings are abrupt, although the bodies of the songs are well-developed.

121 Song Annotations The Alto’s Lament. The Marcy and Zina Company, 1996. Range e-a2. Easy vocal part and moderate piano accompaniment. Appropriate for contralto or mezzo-soprano. The vocal line stays in a low tessitura with a few leaps to higher pitches. There is a slow build from beginning to ending in dynamics, pitch level, and tempo. This song pokes fun at the typical alto parts in muscal theatre literature. A very humorous piece that requires strong chest voice.

Apathetic Man. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range g-sharp – e-flat1. Appropriate for low female voice. Can be sung as a trio or solo. Moderate vocal line and moderate piano accompaniment. The tessitura is very low in this song. The text is set syllabically, and speech inflected rhythms can be improvised at places. A humorous song.

Baltimore. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range g – d-sharp2. Tessitura is very low; much of the song remains below b1. Appropriate for low female voice. Moderate vocal line and piano accompaniment. This song is a combination of recitative-like passages and patter song. Strong chest voice is needed.

Beautiful You. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range g# - b1. Tessitura remains low throughout the song. Appropriate for low female or male voice. Easy vocal and piano

122 parts. It is a love song with mild religious references. It would be appropriate for a wedding.

Boom Boom. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range f – e2. Appropriate for low to middle female or male voice. Tessitura is low to moderately low. Easy vocal and piano part. There is a bass line that needs to be played. The text is about a bassist. Written as a duet, it may be sung as a solo. The piano line is written as a jazz chart with suggested chords.

Don’t You Be Shakin’ Your Faith in Me. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range f# d#2. Written as a duet for two women; it may be sung by one female as a solo. Tessitura is low for the first half and is slightly higher for the second half of the song. Moderate vocal part and piano accompaniment. Appropriate for low female voice or middle female voice with good belting ability in the lower part of her range.

Faraway. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range g – f#2. Tessitura begins low and climbs throughout the song. Vocal part is moderate, with some rhythmic complexities and unexpected phrase shapes. The piano accompaniment is moderate; it is repetitive, but has running sixteenth note figures and several key changes. Appropriate for most female and male voices with ranges capable of the low pitches. The text is about determination and perseverance.

123

Fifteen Pounds. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: a – d-flat2. Tessitura is in a moderate to low range throughout the song; it is narrow, but remains around most female’s shift between registrations. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is marked ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ and the piano is repetitious and harmonically supportive of the voice. The vocal line is easy due to the small range and simple rhythms. The vocal line is set syllabically and has rising lines, which could encourage a singer to bring weight into the higher pitches, if a proper belt technique is not used. Appropriate for female voices.

Funny How the Love Gets in the Way. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: f – d-flat2. Tessitura is from d1-b-flat1. Appropriate for male or female singers. Piano accompaniment is moderate and is secondary to the melody. The vocal part is easy due to the narrow range. The text is set syllabically and word-stress fits the melodic and rhythmic shape of the phrases. The text is about a break-up.

How I Love You (Wedding Song). The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: a-flat – d-flat2. Tessitura in this song is in a middle range for most singers. Appropriate for male and female singers. Piano accompaniment is easy and is harmonically and rhythmically supportive of the voice. The vocal line is moderate. There are long phrases. The text is

124 set syllabically. This song is appropriate for a wedding. Dynamics are not marked in either the voice or piano, but would be necessary to add.

I Want Them…(Bald). The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: g- c-sharp2. The tessitura is in a low range for most female voices. The g is only touched and may be eliminated if the singer wishes. This song is appropriate for female singers. A humorous song about an attraction to bald men. Piano accompaniment is sparse and easy. The vocal part is moderately easy. The vocal line is fairly static in phrase contour, but allows the text to be inflected and enunciated well. There are back-up singer lines, which are optional. There are also a few spoken phrases.

The Last Song. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: f-sharp – d2. The f-sharp is not a necessary pitch if it is too low for the singer. Appropriate for female singers or male singers if they change the word ‘wife’ to ‘husband.’ The tessitura begins low, but gradually climbs as the intensity of the song increases throughout. Piano accompaniment is moderate due to the repetitive nature, but shifting key signatures. The tempo is marked Habanera. The vocal line is moderate; there are many repetitive rhythmic units and phrase structures. The text is about a break-up and detachment. The text is humorous and would be appropriate for the final song in a recital.

Let Me Grow Old. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published

125 in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: a-flat – c2. The tessitura is low; it increases in pitch throughout the song, but because of the narrow range of the song, the tessitura remains low. This song is appropriate for a female singer. Piano accompaniment is moderate and is secondary to the vocal melody; it is chordal with some appegiation. Dynamics and tempi are marked in the piano, but not in the voice. The vocal part is easy. Technically the part is easy, with short, simple phrases and syllabically set text. The text, about living long enough to be old and have done things of significance, is dramatically demanding.

Love Like Breathing. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: g- d2. The tessitura gradually rises, but is low. The low g’s (either g or G, depending on the octave performed) are necessary pitches in this song. The piano accompaniment is moderate, with expansive, blocked chords with little linear motion throughout. The vocal line is easy; there are simple, short phrases and it is repetitive. The text, about finding true love, requires emotional maturity. Male or female voices are appropriate.

Make Your Own Party. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: g- f2. The tessitura gradually rises as the song gains momentum. The tessitura stays within belting range for most voices. The vocal line is set for two voices, but may be sung as a solo. The vocal line is moderate due to the range, tessitura and repetitive nature. Acting skills are required. The piano part is moderate. The accompaniment is secondary to the dominant

126 vocal melody; there are several short piano interludes. The piano has chordal harmonies with designated articulations, particularly within the interludes. The text is about creating one’s own celebration for a birthday; it is bright and upbeat.

Menemsha Moon. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: c1-d2. The tessitura begins in a low register, but is in a medium register for most of the song. Appropriate for male or female voices. The piano accompaniment has classical phrasing at the beginning, ending, and interludes. The piano accompaniment is chordal and secondary in importance to the vocal melody when the singer is singing, however the overall piano part is moderate due to the demands of the introduction, postlude and interlude. The vocal line is moderate. Many of the vocal phrases are short and set syllabically. There are large intervallic leaps within the chorus of the song. The text is about the changes a love goes through and requires sensitivity and emotional maturity in the singer.

The Morning After. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: B – f1. This song is appropriate for male singers. The tessitura is large and requires an extensive range of the singer. This song is performed in a musical theater style. There are spoken sections of the voice, and more could be added. The piano accompaniment is primarily blocked chords. The piano part is moderate. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty due to the large range and tessitura. The voice is disjunct in motion with many large leaps. The text is about the morning after a one-night stand, and is humorous, but requires an

127 emotionally mature singer.

Music of Your Life. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: a – e2. Appropriate for a female vocalist. The tessitura climbs in the middle of the song, but remains low for most of the duration. The piano part is moderate in difficulty; there is an introduction and an extensive interlude in the middle of the song. There are shifting keys. The vocal line is moderate in difficulty. The phrases are moderate in length, but cover a significant range in the middle of the song. The rhythmic units have syncopations to align with the text setting.

Now That I Know. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: f-sharp – c-flat2. Appropriate for female voices. The tessitura is low throughout the song. The few times the singer must sing above a b-flat1 requires proper belt technique. The piano accompaniment is easy, with many repetitive harmonies and block chords; there are shifts in key that prove challenging. The voice is easy due to the limited range, low tessitura and simple and repetitive phrase structures. The singer must have good acting abilities. The text is about an ended love.

Oh, How I Loved You. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: b-flat – b-flat1. The tessitura is low, and the range is very limited. This song is appropriate for male or female

128 singers. The accompaniment is moderate due to the repetitive nature and simple, unchanging key signature. The pianist and vocalist must align parts or consciously choose to not align parts in places where the piano doubles the vocal line. The vocal part is moderate. The voice has simple, short phrases and is very repetitive. The form of the piece is a simple A B A structure. The text is a reflection of an ended love.

Oh My Soul. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: g# - e-flat2. Song is appropriate for male or female vocalists. Tessitura is wide and requires strength in the low part of the range and strength through the middle. This tessitura can be problematic for female voices in that it requires much singing at the passaggio. Piano part is moderate in difficulty; the piano accompaniment is secondary to the melody and is primarily chordal, but there are many accidentals and sophisticated key signatures. The vocal part is easy; it is repetitive and has no large leaps. The vocal part does require seamless transitions between registrations. The text is about the difficulties of a long-distance relationship.

Out of Love. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: a – c-sharp2. Appropriate for male or female singers. The tessitura is in the mid to lower part of the average singer’s range. Belt and transitions into the upper registration may present a problem for singers. The piano part is easy; it is secondary to the melody and has many arpeggiated chords. The piano does have widely spaced chords at the introduction and between verses. The vocal part is easy. There are regular 2 and 4 bar phrases with conjunct motion. The text is set

129 syllabically. The text is about the end of an office romance. The repetitive nature of the music requires story telling abilities in the singer, otherwise the song can seem too repetitive.

Over the Moon. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: c-sharp – g. Written for a male singer. The tessitura is high throughout the song, and necessitates a tenor or lyric baritone voice. The piano part is moderate with arpeggiated chords throughout the song. The piano is supportive of the voice and doubles it throughout much of the song. The vocal line is moderate in difficulty. The tessitura is high with a fairly large range. Many of the phrases are disjunct in motion and have large leaps of fourths, fifths and sixths throughout. The song is a lullaby sung by a father to his baby.

Taking Flight. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: A – a1. This song is for a male singer. The tessitura climbs throughout the song, and needs a lyrical baritone voice. The piano part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment begins simply with block chords, but changes into repetitive running sixteenth notes for most of the song. The harmonic rhythm is quick, and independence of hands is necessary. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. The range is wide and the melody has unexpected harmonies and intervallic content. There are also many rhythmic complexities; there are many triplet figures and grace notes to be considered. The text is about a young love that struggles against adult’s expectations and then ends tragically.

130

Taylor, the Latte Boy. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: a – d2. The song is appropriate for female singer. The tessitura gradually rises throughout the song, but remains low with only excursions into a higher tessitura. The piano accompaniment is moderate in difficulty; it is harmonically supportive of the vocal line, but does not rhythmically align with the voice. The harmonic motion is quick and requires shifting hand positions. The vocal part is moderate. The phrases are regular and arched in contour, and there are no rhythmic complexities. The text is about falling in love with the ‘boy who works at Starbucks.’ It is a narrative that requires clear diction and storytelling in the singer.

That’s All. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. c – f-sharp1. The song is for a male singer. The tessitura remains high and requires a tenor or lyric baritone. The piano part is moderate in difficulty because of the samba indication and rhythmic complexities throughout the song; the piano does not rhythmically align with the voice. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. The phrases are short and regular; there are large leaps to navigate and many words to enunciate quickly. There is also spoken text that is at times set with specific rhythms and at other times is freely spoken. The text is about finding the perfect girl. The song is very humorous and requires good acting skills in the singer.

There Will Never Be Another Love. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in

131 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: d1 – a-flat2. The song is written for a male and female duet, but can be sung as a solo. The tessitura is high for both voices, and requires a tenor and soprano voice. The piano part is moderate in difficulty. There are many repetitive, regular rhythms in the piano accompaniment, but the chords shift rapidly and the arpeggiation of the chords is quick. The vocal parts are moderate in difficulty due to the range and tessitura. The voice has many long phrases that require proper breath management. The text is about finding a lasting, true love. This would be appropriate at a wedding.

We Remember Love. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: a – c2. Appropriate for male or female singers. The tessitura is low and remains within belting range. The piano accompaniment is sparse and easy. There are blocked chords throughout and the harmonic rhythm is not quick. The vocal part is moderate. There are sophisticated rhythms and the rising melody lines in the phrases requires attention to breath management. The text is about remembering love in one’s life.

Welcome the Rain. The Marcy and Zina Company, 2003. Composed in 1999. Published in Goldrich and Heisler, Songbook Volume 1. Range: g – d2. Appropriate for male or female singers. The tessitura gradually rises throughout the song; the singer must have a strong lower register and must be able to transition well into the upper part of the range. The piano accompaniment is moderate in difficulty. The harmonic rhythm is not quick, but the arpeggiations are not regular and repeating. The voice is moderate in difficulty.

132 The voice shifts between duple and triple rhythmic figures, and as the song progresses, there are longer phrases and large intervals to negotiate within a lyrical line.

133 CHAPTER XIII RICKY IAN GORDON

Biography and Style Ricky Ian Gordon is a composer whose output spans many genres, though primarily vocal music and composes art song, opera and musical theater. He also composes instrumental pieces for the concert hall, pieces to accompany dance and incidental music for film. Gordon is published by Carl Fischer, Williamson Music and Hal Leonard. Gordon is highly regarded by singers, regularly collaborating with renowned performers such as Renee Fleming, Carol Vaness, Audra MacDonald, Dawn Upshaw, Frederica Von Stade, among others. Ricky Ian Gordon was born on May 15, 1956 in New York City, but he spent his formative years on Long Island, New York. After studying composition at CarnegieMellon University, Gordon returned to New York City to live and work. Gordon’s works are performed internationally, and have been heard at distinguished venues and festivals including The New York Festival of Song, Carnegie Hall, National Center for the Performing Arts Bombay, Festival Aix-en Provence, the Kennedy Center, and Skylight Opera Theatre in Milwaukee. Recordings of Gordon’s works can be heard on many recording labels, including RCA and Albany. Gordon was featured on the PBS series, Great Performances. Currently, Gordon is working on commissions for New York’s Metropolitan Opera, Virginia Opera and The Virginia Arts Festival, and The Signature Theater in Arlington, Virginia. Gordon has given master classes and composition classes around the

134 country at institutions such as New York University, Yale University, Northwestern University, Julliard School of Music, Manhattan School of Music, and San Francisco Conservatory. He has served as composer in residence at several festivals, including The Hawaii Performing Arts Festival, Songfest at Pepperdine University, Chautauqua, the Aspen Music Festival and Ravinia. His numerous awards include the Stephen Sondheim Award, The Gilman and Gonzalez-Falla Theater Foundation Award, and many awards from American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the National Endowment of the Arts and The American Music Center. Gordon’s style is a varying blend of art song, musical theater and cabaret elements. His vocal music is primarily tonal with dissonances used for coloration. Gordon’s music is technically demanding for the performers. While Gordon’s songs are melodically dominant, the accompaniments are often rhythmically complex and have demanding counterpoint. Various textures are utilized in his songs in order to illustrate the text. The accompaniments are often supportive, but independent of the vocal part. Gordon uses poets such as Langston Hughes, Sylvia Plath, John Ashbery and Jane Kenyon. The poetry is bound intimately to the melody, and Gordon’s music is melodically dominated. The vocal melodies are often comprised of sweeping, legato phrases that set the mood of the text. The texts, at times, require mature performers because of sophisticated subject matter. Gordon’s vocal works are dramatically complex and require excellent acting ability.

Song Annotations Genius Child. Texts by Langston Hughes. Published in 1995 by Williamson Music.

135 Dedicated to Henry, Mary and Adam Guettel. 1. Border Line. Range: c1 – b2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. Vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is abstract and about death and heaven. The text repeats twice in the song. There are lengthy passages without words that are labeled ‘vocalise’ in the vocal part. The voice and piano have ornaments throughout. The song is very tuneful and lyrical. 2. Genius Child. Range: d-flat1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderate. The song is tonal and has many dissonances and unexpected harmonic progressions. The text is on the danger of a smart child; it requires an emotionally mature singer. Many metric shifts occur throughout. The song is marked ‘rhythmic’ at the beginning and constant rhythmic motion occurs in the voice and piano throughout. The piano is harmonically supportive of the voice; the voice is unaccompanied or unassisted in several places, requiring an independent singer. 3. Joy. Range: f1 – b-flat2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The text is repetitive and is about finding joy in everyday occurrences. There are many shifts in meter throughout the song. The tempo is quick and the piano part has quick rhythmic units. The voice is lyrical and sustained; many of the sustained notes are on high pitches at the ends of phrases. 4. Kid in the Park. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano

136 accompaniment is moderate. The text is on someone who feels lost and alone. There are shifting meters and key areas throughout the song. The vocal part begins with phrases of humming. The vocal phrases are short and match the text. The piano accompaniment has repeated rhythmic motives. The piano and voice play equal roles. 5. My People. Range: d-flat1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal line is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The voice has lengthy phrases and difficult intervals to navigate without doubling of the piano. The piano has extended chords and quickly moving passages. The text, on the beauty of the earth and the people, is repetitive. The harmonies and textures are rich and colorful. 6. Prayer. Range: d1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for high voices. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The text is in first person and questions God. The text repeats three times throughout the song. The text is primarily set neumatically. The piano accompaniment uses rhythmic and melodic motives presented in the voice. The piano has a lengthy interlude in the middle of the song. 7. Strange Hurt (short and long versions). Range: d1 – g-flat2 (long version d1 – a-flat2). Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal line is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. Both versions are similar, but the long version has repeated text and more sustained high pitches at the end. The text requires an emotionally mature singer and is on security and freedom. There are many shifting meters and tempi in both versions. The vocal

137 line is lyrical with the phrases commonly ending on high, sustained pitches. 8. To be Somebody. Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on children dreaming for better things. The voice is lyrical with a combination of disjunct and conjunct motion. The piano part is filled with scalar motion and some arpeggiated chords. The song is tonal with dissonances. The piano doubles the voice at times. The voice has several melismas. 9. Troubled Woman. Range: e1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is moderate and the meter is consistently in three throughout the song. The song is tonal with some dissonances. The voice has some leaps into dissonances, which may pose a problem for singers. The vocal line is sustained, and the accompaniment has moving eighth notes throughout. 10. Winter Moon. Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium high voices. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is very short. The piano creates the atmosphere of the text on the moon. The vocal melody is angular with ascending and descending leaps. The song is tonal with dissonances.

I Never Knew. Text by Ricky Ian Gordon. Part of the Aids Quilt Songbook,. Published by Boosey & Hawkes in 1993. Dedicated to Bart Gorin, Rich Martel, Mark Fotopolos, Billy Deacutis, Daniel Katz & so many others. Range b-flat – g-flat2; appropriate for middle voice types, male and female. Technically, the voice and piano are moderate in

138 difficulty, however, the text requires emotional maturity. The voice has long, lyrical phrases, sometimes interrupted by eighth rests. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal line.

A Horse With Wings. Published in 1995 by Williamson Music. Dedicated to his family. 1. Once I was. Text by Gordon. Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano voices. The vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The text is on growing up and changing. The song is tonal. The phrases are classical in structure. The accompaniment has running eighth notes throughout. The voice has much motion with sustained pitches at the ends of phrases. There are several vocalise sections. 2. Sweet Song. Text by Gordon. Range: b – a2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderately difficult. The text is full of imagery without a strong story. The tempo is slow and the phrasing is lyrical. The accompaniment has a rocking eighth note motion. The vocal line is sustained. The piano has a substantial interlude in the middle of the song. 3. Afternoon on a Hill. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: f1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal line is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano part is repetitious. The quick tempo causes the many repeated sixteenth notes in the accompaniment to be fatiguing and challenging. The vocal line is lyrical with arched phrase contours. There is a lengthy passage of vocalise at the end of the

139 song. 4. My Sister’s New Red Hat. Text by Gordon. Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal line is difficult. The accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on jealousy of a sister. The voice has many wide leaps. The piano often doubles the vocal melody. 5. A Horse with Wings. Text by Gordon. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderate in difficulty. The text is on wishing for more quality in life. The vocal phrases are short. The accompaniment has many blocked chords, suggestive of a hymn. 6. Air. Text by Frank O’Hara. Range: c-flat1 – g-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The text is full of imagery that is portrayed musically in the vocal and piano parts. There are difficult rhythms in both accompaniment and voice. The accompaniment is sometimes harmonically helpful to the voice and other times has dissonances with the vocal melody. The voice has many sustained high pitches. 7. Poem. Text by Frank O’Hara. Range: d1 – b2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is frantic, which is conveyed through the music. There are shifting styles of music – including a tango style – within the song. The song is tonal with some dissonances. The vocal line has difficult leaps and sustained high pitches. The voice is not doubled by the accompaniment.

140 8. The Lake Isle of Innisfree. Text by W. B. Yeats. Range: d1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The text is on wishing for a simpler life that is closer to nature; the text is full of imagery. The broken chords in the accompaniment create the dreamlike mood called for at the beginning of the song. The vocal line varies between a static, declamatory line and a more lyrical line with arched phrase contours. The piano has an interlude in the middle of the song. 9. The Spring and the Fall. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: b – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano. The vocal line and piano accompaniment are moderately difficult. The text is on the slow ending of a love that coincides with the changing seasons. The tempo is slow, and the piano and voice have lyrical phrases. The vocal phrases often begin on the highest notes of the phrase, and they are lengthy. The piano has steady eighth note motion with many colorful harmonies. The song is tonal with dissonances. 10. Souvenir. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: b – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal phrases are lengthy. There is much text and it is set syllabically. The vocal line has several measures of vocalise that illustrates the text. The piano accompaniment has primarily threepart counterpoint, and it commonly doubles the voice. 11. Coyotes. Text by Ray Underwood. Range: b – b2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for soprano. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on tortured love. The voice has many large intervals to

141 navigate from one extreme in the range to the other. The style is a tango. The piano doubles the voice in many instances and has stylized ornaments such as trills and glissandi. 12. The Red Dress. Text by Dorothy Parker. Range: b – a2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on ideals that change. The style is a slow waltz, with much rubato. The piano is harmonically supportive of the voice and has rich, warm harmonies. The voice has arched phrase contours with some large intervals. 13. What Shall We Remember, Text by Gordon. Range: b – f-sharp. Tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The accompaniment is difficult. The text is on mourning a love that never happened. The melody is tuneful and tonal, with dissonances between the voice and piano. The piano has extended chords; the piano has a more dense texture with momentum through the middle of the song. The text is repetitive and set syllabically. 14. Will There Really Be a Morning? Text by Emily Dickinson. Range: a – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium low voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal phrases are short. The vocal phrases often end on an unaccented syllable and on the highest pitch of the phrases; this may pose a difficulty for singers. The piano accompaniment has steadily moving eighth notes with much syncopation. The vocal melody is very tuneful and simple which matches the honesty of the text.

142 15. Sycamore Trees. Text by Gordon. Range: a – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderately difficult. The text is about coming of age. The vocal line carries the melody throughout the song, with short piano interludes. The piano does not double the voice, but supports the vocal line harmonically. The piano accompaniment has much counterpoint, and the voice has much movement with sustained pitches at the ends of phrases. 16. Fewer Words. Text by Gordon. Range: c1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a strained relationship. The vocal line has many short fragments of phrases that are strung together, which matches the text; this can make breathing for the singer and comprehensibility difficult. The piano has many arpeggiated chords and three-part counterpoint. 17. The Special Picnic. Text by Gordon. Range: c-flat1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a narrative of a little girl and a special day. The vocal phrases are lengthy and have a large amount of text. The accompaniment does not double the voice, but is harmonically supportive. The accompaniment has quick rhythms with much counterpoint. The tempo is fast and the song gains momentum throughout. 18. Janet Underneath Roses. Text by Gordon. Range: b – f2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal line is

143 lyrical with more sustained pitches than the accompaniment. There are some difficult leaps and sustained high pitches. The accompaniment is quickly moving with quick harmonic rhythm and several parts of counterpoint. There are several lengthy piano interludes between verses of the text. The song is long and necessitates stamina in the pianist and vocalist. 19. I am Cherry Alive. Text by Gordon. Range: c-sharp1 – b2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on child-like innocence, spoken from a child’s perspective. The vocal phrases are moderate in length, and the highest pitches in the phrases are often sustained. There are several key changes and metric shifts. The piano accompaniment many varying articulations, and the piano accompaniment creates density of texture. 20. An Oldfashioned Song. Text by John Hollander. Range: b-flat – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal line is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on love and an illness. The vocal line has sweeping lyrical phrases that are of moderate length. The vocal line is not doubled in the piano, but is supported harmonically. The piano has very quick rhythms that are a combination of outlined chord structures and scalar patterns. The piano has a very dense texture that creates lush colors in the harmonies. 21. White Haired Woman. Text by Gordon. Range: a – g2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is difficult. The text is on the death of a homeless woman and

144 requires an emotionally mature singer. The vocal phrases are long and have no rests within the phrases. The piano part often doubles the voice and has dense texture throughout most of the song. The song is tonal with dissonances.

Only Heaven. Texts by Langston Hughes. Published by Williamson Music in 1997. For male or female middle to high voices. 1. Angel Wings. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: e-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is in a medium range for a high voice. Appropriate for high male or female voice. The accompaniment is moderate in difficulty due to the three-voice texture and the amount of accidentals in the blocked chords. The vocal part is moderate. The text is set syllabically and the phrases are regular and repetitive. The text is about comparing oneself to another in character. 2. Daybreak in Alabama. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: c-sharp1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is high, but has wide leaps into the lower register. Appropriate for high male or female voice. The accompaniment is moderate in difficulty; the hands are independent of each other, but they maintain similar rhythmic units and phrase shapes throughout the song. The tempo is marked “Easy Cowboy.” The vocal part is difficult due to large leaps and independence from the accompaniment. There are long phrases with text setting that reflects natural speech inflection. There is also text painting within the vocal part. 3. Delinquent. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is in a medium range for most singers. Appropriate for male or female. The accompaniment begins with an extensive introduction, and is difficult. There are

145 three independent voices shared between the hands; throughout the song there is counterpoint created from short rhythmic units. The vocal part is moderate in technical difficulty, but demanding in dramatic intent. The text is about a young, pregnant girl. 4. Demand. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: e1 – c3. Appropriate for high female or male voice. The tessitura remains very high throughout the song. The vocal part is difficult due to the extreme range demanded of the singer. The song is also lengthy, which requires great stamina from the singer. There are complex rhythms and long phrases that are not supported by the accompaniment. The accompaniment is difficult. There is much counterpoint with quick, complex rhythmic units. There are many changes in meter, dynamics, articulation and texture throughout the song. The song is about a life-long struggle against death. 5. Dream. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is in a middle range for a high voice. Appropriate for soprano. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. There are long, legato phrases, but the high notes rarely are sustained at the ends of phrases. The accompaniment is difficult due to the presence of counterpoint and three voices throughout. There are many complicated rhythms and articulations that change rapidly. The text is about a lover who leaves. 6. Dream Variations. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: d-flat1 – g-flat2. Appropriate for soprano voice. The tessitura remains high throughout the song; there are wide leaps, which require use of the lower registration, too. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty due to the high, sustained tessitura and large intervallic leaps. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There are

146 repetitive patterns in the accompaniment; at times there are three voices within the texture. The melody is graceful and uncomplicated. There are meter shifts between simple and compound meters. 7. Drum. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: c1- b-flat2. Appropriate for male or female singer with high voice. The tessitura is in a mid to high range for high voices. The vocal part is difficult. There are long, lyrical phrases with the sustained pitches on the highest pitches. The highest pitches are generally approached by step or small intervallic leaps. The accompaniment is difficult. There is much counterpoint and there are three voices throughout the song. The text is about death and requires a mature singer with strong acting abilities. 8. Harlem Night Song. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: e1 – g2. Appropriate for high female or male voice. The tessitura remains medium to high throughout the song. The vocal part is moderate due to the high tessitura and lengthy phrases. The piano accompaniment is difficult; there are three independent melodic lines in places and there are many syncopated rhythms. The voice is sustained with short, rhythmically complex fragments in phrases. The accompaniment is full of rhythmic and harmonic motion. 9. In Time of Silver Rain. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: c-sharp1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is extensive, with low pitches necessary immediately followed by sustained high pitches. This song should be sung by high male or female voices. The piano part is difficult. There is a considerable amount of counterpoint; the tempo, articulation and dynamic shifts are often and sudden. The vocal part is difficult due to the expansive range. There are long phrases with many sustained

147 high pitches. There are rhythmic complexities in the melody line. The long, sweeping lyrical phrases set the mood of the song. 10. Late Last Night. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is in the middle register for much of the song. This song is appropriate for male or female medium high voice. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. The phrase lengths are irregular, but are contoured in a rising and falling motion. The accompaniment is marked “Gymnopedie,” which is a reference to the pieces by Eric Satie. The piano part is easy in that it has sustained chords for most of the song, and not until the second half of the song are the hands independent of each other. 11. Litany. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: d-flat1 – b-flat2. Appropriate for male or female high voice. The tessitura is very extensive with low pitches required followed immediately by high, sustained pitches. The accompaniment is difficult. There are lengthy interludes throughout, and there is a 20-bar introduction. There are complex harmonies and changing rhythmic units; the hands act independently of each other and the vocal part throughout. The vocal part is difficult. The melody is very angular and tonality is blurred at points. The range is extensive and the independence from the accompaniment requires a strong musician. 12. Luck. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: f1 – f2. The tessitura is in a comfortably low range for most voice types. Appropriate for male or female voices. The song is very compact in length and dramatic content. The piano accompaniment is easy; the tempo is slow and the texture is transparent. The vocal line is easy; the phrases are not long, and there are no rhythmic complexities. The meaning of the

148 text requires a sensitive, mature singer. 13. Night: Four Songs. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: c1 – a2. Appropriate for high male or female voice. The tessitura is expansive and requires quick succession of high and low registration in the singer. The vocal part is difficult due to the range and tessitura. The vocal line has a very disjunct melody with complex rhythms that are not rhythmically supported in the accompaniment. The accompaniment is moderately difficult. There is a piano introduction that has counterpoint and independence of hands. The text is about continued sorrow in one’s life. 14. Port Town. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: e1 – a2. The tessitura is large and covers the lower-middle and higher part of most singers’ ranges. Appropriate for soprano or lyric mezzo voice. The accompaniment is moderate with difficult passages. The hands have parallel motion for the first third of the song; the latter two thirds of the song have several interludes with rhythmic complexities and widely spaced chords. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. The tessitura gradually rises over the course of the song. The voice is set syllabically with short, ascending phrases. 15. Song for a Dark Girl. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: c1 – a2. Appropriate for high male or female voices. The tessitura is in a medium range for high voice types. The vocal part is difficult due to complex rhythms and a disjunct melody line. The text is about a young black person being hung in the South; the text requires an emotionally mature singer. The accompaniment is moderate. The rhythms are static, but the harmonic rhythm is quick.

149 16. Stars. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: c1 – a2. Appropriate for high male or female voices. The tessitura is high with many sustained notes on the highest pitches. The vocal part is difficult. The phrases are irregular; some are very long. The phrases require stamina. There is no doubling of the voice in the piano. The accompaniment is also difficult. There are many changes in tempo and texture throughout the song. 17. When Sun Wears Red. Williamson Music, 1997. Range: B-flat – g1. Appropriate for middle or high male voice. The tessitura climbs through the first two thirds of the song, but covers an extensive range. The accompaniment is moderate in difficulty. There are many changes in texture within the accompaniment. At times, the piano echoes the vocal melody. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The highest pitches of phrases are often at the ends of the phrases on sustained pitches.

Late Afternoon. Published in 2007 by Carl Fischer. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Otherwise. Text by Jane Kenyon. Dedicated to Lorraine Hunt. Range: b-flat – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about celebrating simple pleasures and not taking them for granted. The rhythms and melodic ideas match the inflection of the text well. The piano is dominated by the vocal melody. The piano has many block chords and clear textures. The vocal line arpeggiates chords; the voice has some difficult leaps.

150 2. Willi, Home. Text by Jean Valentine. Range: a – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal line is moderate. The accompaniment is moderate. The text is on grieving. The vocal line is set syllabically. The rhythms in the vocal line at the beginning of the song are quick and become slow and sustained by the end of the song. Many of the sustained pitches lie in the passaggio of a typical mezzosoprano. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal line; the accompaniment has many arpeggiated chords in the upper hand. 3. X. Text by Jean Valentine. Range: a – a. Tessitura is high. The vocal line is difficult. The accompaniment is moderate. The text is an elegy for a sibling who died of AIDS. The vocal line is sustained and lyrical. Many of the sustained passages are high in the tessitura. There are large intervals to navigate quickly in the voice. The piano accompaniment has a repetitious rocking rhythm and is rhythmically supportive of the voice. There are several piano interludes. 4. Just Now. Text by Marie Howe. Dedicated to Marie. Range: a – f-sharp2. Tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a picture of someone in a relationship and who is sick. The vocal line is set syllabically and illuminates the text well. The tempo is moderate and there are many shifts in meter, tempo and dynamics throughout. The vocal line and piano accompaniment share rhythmic and melodic motives. The accompaniment has a simple texture and harmonically supports the voice. 5. What the Living Do. Text by Marie Howe. Range: b – g2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The accompaniment is moderate. The text is on grieving and requires an emotionally mature singer.

151 Because of the length, the song demands stamina. The vocal line has much syncopation that follows the text inflection closely. The piano is instructed to be ‘like wind, but not too fast.’ The accompaniment has steady, syncopated quarter and then eighth note motion. The piano and voice are echoes of each other at times. 6. Let Evening Come. Text by Jane Kenyon. Dedicated to Susan Gordon Lydon. Range: c-sharp1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal line is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on comforting someone in the time of death; the text requires an emotionally mature singer. The song is tonal with many dissonances and lush, romantic harmonies. The vocal line has difficult rhythms and intervals; the vocal line is lyrical and becomes sustained at the end. The piano has intricate rhythms with some ornamentation. The piano provides changing textures – sometimes transparent and other times very dense. The piano has a postlude.

Songs of Our Time. Published in 2005 by Carl Fischer. 1. Virginia Woolf. Text by James Schuyler. Range: c1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium high voice. Vocal and piano parts are moderately difficult. The song is tonal with much dissonance. The text is set syllabically, and the vocal line is angular. There is text painting. A piano postlude ends the song. The piano harmonically supports the vocal line. The text is about wishing to have been able to keep Virginia Woolf from committing suicide.

152 2. Friend. Text by Jean Valentine. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. Vocal part is moderate. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a troubled relationship. Metric shifts create a sense of unmeasured time. Shifting tempi, dynamics, articulations, phrasing illuminate the text. The piano has a thick texture, and rhythmically supports the voice. The vocal line has many difficult intervals. 3. Little Horse. Text by W. W. Merwin. Range: c1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for high voices. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The text is on longing; the text is not specific and may be interpreted various ways. The vocal line has difficult intervals, and the piano does not harmonically support the vocal line. The piano has a repeated rhythmic figure that is syncopated. Both piano and voice have short motives that are repeated in transpositions. The song has many moods. 4. Spell Against Sorrow. Text by Kathleen Raine. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Text is on grieving and requires a mature singer. The song is tuneful. The vocal and piano parts have lyrical phrases with repetion in the text, rhythms, and melodic ideas. The accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal line. The song is tonal with dissonance throughout. 5. The Light Comes on by Itself. Text by Frank O’Hara. Range: c1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on unrequited love; each verse of the poem is set to a different style of music. The

153 song is tonal with dissonances. Voice and piano are equally important in this song. Shifts in style, meter, dynamics and articulations are abrupt. 6. Pont Mirabeau. Text by X. J. Kennedy, after Guillaume Apollinaire. Range: bflat – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium high voices. Piano and vocal parts are difficult. The text is on a maturing love. The song is lengthy and requires stamina. Romantic harmonies and gestures are in the vocal and piano parts. Syncopations, sweeping melodies, suspensions and extended chords create a French sound appropriate to the text. The voice has many high, sustained pitches. The piano has many arpeggiated chords. 7. A Poem of Unrest. Text by John Ashbery. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The text is on love, and knowing oneself. The piano plays an equal role to the voice, having several lengthy interludes. The voice has angular melodic ideas. The piano harmonically and rhythmically supports the voice 8. This Room. Text by John Ashbery. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano part has 3 staves for much of the song with repetitious, extended chords. The vocal line is lyrical, with many disjunct lines. Ensemble may be a problem in this song. The text is abstract. 9.

If You Can. Text by Howard Moss. Range:d-flat1 – b-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for high voices. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. Many shifts in meter, dynamics, style and articulation occur. The voice has several melismas. The piano is equal in importance to the voice and has dense textures.

154 10. Aspen Tree. Text by Paul Celan, translated by Michael Hamburger. Range: a – f-sharp2. Tessitura is low. Recommended for low voices. The vocal part and piano accompaniment are moderately difficult. The piano has sustained chords with slightly varied rhythms. The many shifts in meter illuminate the text. The piano is not harmonically supportive of the voice in places where the voice has difficult intervals to navigate. 11. Three Floors. Text by Stanley Kunitz. Range: b-flat – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The vocal line is disjunct and the text is set syllabically. The vocal line has melismas for the last portion of the song. The piano has syncopations that are complicated through the shifting meters throughout. The text is about childhood familial relationships. 12. The Crazy Woman. Text by Gwendolyn Brooks. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium female voices. Vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The piano has repetitious rhythms with similar melodic shapes throughout. The piano creates the sense of the crazy woman, and it is minimalistic. The vocal line is not harmonically supported by the piano. The text is on sadness. 13. Child. Text by Sylvia Plath. Range: c1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The text is on a parent’s wishes for a child. The accompaniment is sustained, and the vocal line is highlighted because of quick rhythmic ideas. The song is not long, but requires an emotionally mature singer.

155 14. Dreams / Feet o’ Jesus. Text by Langston Hughes. Dedicated to Audra McDonald. Range: a – a2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for soprano. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The vocal line has many ornaments. The piano has many extended chords and is filled with quick rhythmic units. The vocal line has many melismas and intricate rhythmic ideas.

156 CHAPTER XIV DARON HAGEN

Biography and Style Daron Hagen was born in 1961 in Milwaukee. He began his musical studies at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, and continued his education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. At age 15, Hagen’s orchestral music was brought to the attention of Leonard Bernstein, and with Bernstein’s encouragement, Hagen enrolled at the Curtis Institute of Music. At Curtis, Hagen studied with Ned Rorem. Hagen continued his education at the Julliard School. Hagen’s other teachers include Joseph Schwantner, David Diamond, and Witold Lutoslawski. Along with composing, Hagen is an active conductor, pianist and stage director. Many recordings of his works have been produced on Albany, Arsis, Sierra, CRI, Klavier and Naxos labels. Hagen is a member of the Corporation of Yaddo, a member of the board of the Douglas Moore Fund for American Opera, and is a past president of the Lotte Lehmann Foundation. Hagen has received numerous prizes including the Kennedy Center Friedheim, the Bearns, Barlow, and ASCAP-Nissim Prizes, two Rockefeller Bellagio Residencies and the Camargo Residency. Hagen has also received grants from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, and Opera America. Beginning his teaching career in the 1980’s, Hagen has taught composition at Princeton University, the Curtis Institute, Bard College, New York University and the City College of New York. His works have received international recognition, and he

157 has many commissioned pieces. Currently, Hagen is working on an opera for Seattle Opera, an opera for Sarasota Opera, a fourth symphony with chorus for Albany Symphony, and a violin concerto for Michael Ludwig. Hagen has resided in New York City since 1984. He lives with his wife, the composer Gilda Lyons, and their son Atticus. Daron Hagen’s style is not easily classified. Within his compositions Hagen utilizes a wide variety of contemporary compositional techniques including serialism, atonality and minimalistic techniques. Most of the song repertoire is tonal though at times one finds a large amount of chromaticism and dissonance. While the melodies are warm and lyrical, Hagen uses various styles, such as jazz idioms, musical theater gestures, Latin rhythms, Italian verismo operatic devices and contemporary rock elements, all with the intention of heightening the drama. Because of his eclectic tendencies, Hagen’s works appeal to a wide variety of audiences. Hagen’s song literature commonly requires an advanced singer, as the accompaniments are musically complex and independent from the vocal part. His songs are both challenging to perform and accessible to audiences.

Song Annotations Echo’s Songs. Published in 1992 by E.C. Schirmer. Dedicated to Karen Hale. Composed for high voice. 1. Never Pain to Tell Thy Love. Text by William Blake. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about an unreturned love. The vocal

158 melody is lyrical with arching phrase contours. The piano accompaniment has block chords. Articulations, dynamics and phrasings are clearly marked in the score. 2. I am Not Yours. Text by Sara Teasdale. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. There is much chromaticism in the vocal and piano parts. The piano has two-voice counterpoint, and does not double the voice. 3. A Dream Within a Dream. Text by Edgar Allen Poe. Range: b-flat – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment is very sparse in the first half, with many arpeggios in the second half. The piano does not double the voice. 4.

Echo’s Song. Text by Ben Johnson. Range: b-flat – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a depiction of someone crying. There are many triplet figures in the voice. The dynamics shift quickly in the voice and piano, and do not always align between parts.

5. I am Rose. Text by Gertrude Stein. Range: g1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is very short. The piano accompaniment has two-voice counterpoint. The tempo is fast and the dynamics are muted. 6. Lost. Text by Carl Sandburg. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is very

159 brief. The vocal melody is not repetitious, while the piano accompaniment is repetitious. The piano part does not double the voice, but is harmonically supportive. 7. Why Did You Go. Text by e. e. cummings. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The song is unaccompanied. The text is about a kitten that died. The score is marked ‘straightforward and simple.’ The score is not marked with dynamics, tempi or articulations for most of the short song. 8. Since You Went Away. Text by Kenneth Rexroth. Range: e1 – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is easy. This song is elided with the previous song, although the songs could be performed separately. The text is about someone or something leaving or dying. The song is very short. The piano accompaniment is a countermelody to the vocal melody. 9. Thou Wouldst Be Loved. Text by Edgar Allen Poe. Dedicated to Kristie Foell. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The texture is sparse in the piano accompaniment. The voice has simple rhythms and irregular phrase lengths. The song gains intensity through increased dynamics and tempo throughout. 10. Look Down Fair Moon. Text by Walt Whitman. Range: e1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is one of pleading for the moon to bathe mourners in its light.

160 The score is marked “numb, sluggish, always harsh.” The meter is in 12/4. Much of the vocal melody is unaccompanied. Extreme dynamics are marked in the score. The song is very brief and intense. 11. The Mild Mother. Anonymous 16th century text. Range: b – f2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is very short and in an extremely slow tempo. The text is about the grief of Jesus’ mother, and it requires an emotionally mature singer.

Love Songs. Published in 1992 by E.C. Shirmer. Dedicated to Ned Rorem on his 63rd birthday. Composed for medium voice. 1. I am Loved. Text by Gwen Hagen. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a declaration of the amazement at finding oneself in love. The voice has sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment has extended block chords. There is much chromaticism and dissonance between the voice and piano. 2. Little Uneasy Song. Text by Reine Hauser. Dedicated to Reine Hauser. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There is much hand-crossing in the accompaniment. The voice is rhythmically complex. The piano accompaniment has a motive that is repeated in the right hand for the last two thirds of the song. 3. Ah! Sun-Flower. Text by William Blake. Dedicated to Danielle Woerner. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano

161 accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is fast. The piano and vocal parts act independently of each other. The piano has quick rhythmic motion, and the vocal melody is moderately sustained. A charming, short song. 4. Lost Love. Text by Ze’ev Dunei. Dedicated to Doug Martin and Nancy Brett. Range: e-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is based on imagery of a past love. There is much rhythmic motion in the piano and voice. The dynamics shift frequently. The vocal part acts independently of the piano accompaniment. There are many triplet figures in the vocal melody. 5. Washing Her Hair. Text by Sarah Gorham. Dedicated to Suzanne Chamlin. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a story about ritual activities for a person who is sick or dying. There is text painting in the voice. The meter is in three, and the tempo is quick. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism in the voice and piano. 6. Requiem. Text by Ze’ev Dunei. Dedicated to Joan Tower. Range: g1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text depicts nostalgic imagery of a loved one. The song is pitchcentric. There is much dissonance between the voice and piano. The text is set syllabically, and the text inflection is supported well in the rhythm of the vocal line. 7. The Satyr. Text by Gwen Hage. Dedicated to Michaela Paetsch. Range: d-flat1 – b2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment

162 is difficult. The text is a humorous account of growing old. The vocal phrases are short and irregularly shaped, in accordance with the text. The song is pitchcentric. There is much dissonance and chromaticism throughout in the vocal and piano parts. A colorful, quick-witted song. 8. Sonnet. Text by Gardner McFall. Dedicated to Michaela Paetsch. Range: e-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a dramatic, vivid story about romantic love. The texture in the accompaniment is dense and grows in intensity throughout the song. The song is harmonically rich, and the text is musically depicted well.

Merrill Songs. Texts by James Merrill. Published in 1997 by E. C. Schirmer. Dedicated to William Weaver. Composed for high voice. 1. A Downward Look. Range: d-sharp1 – g2. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about the sky and clouds mixed with imagery of a bath. Weightless, floating and legato are instructed in the score. The voice has leaps of a seventh or octave to begin most phrases. The piano has converging scalar patterns in both hands. The song is tonal, but the tonality is frequently blurred. 2. Body. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is unusual and is suggestive of stage directions. The vocal phrases are long and arching in contour. The vocal line is made up of steady eighth note motion. The piano has eighth and sixteenth note motion in scalar patterns. The song is pitch-

163 centric. 3. The Instilling. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is moderate. The song is tonal and has two key areas; the song shifts between minor and major tonalities. The vocal part is disjunct with rapid rhythmic motives that are to be sung in a legato style. The piano accompaniment has two-part counterpoint through most of the song. Both piano and voice have syncopations. 4. On the Block: Mantel Clock, Imitation Sevres. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a story with an abstract nature; the singer needs highly attuned acting skills. The song is tonal and has repetitions of rhythmic and melodic ideas in both the piano and voice. The voice has long, lyrical phrases with many sustained high pitches. The piano part has a repeated syncopated rhythmic unit that gives the song momentum. 5. Vol. XLIV, No. 3. Range: a – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is easy. The piano part has a single motive that is repeated after each vocal phrase. The vocal part is unaccompanied throughout almost the entire song. The voice is filled with quick rhythmic motives, and chromatic motion is emphasized. The voice is angular and has many dynamic and articulation markings throughout the song. The text is on a Christmas tree; the text is an abstract comment upon our current technological state. 6. On the Block: Lamp, Terracotta Base, US, ca. 1925. Range: a – e2. The

164 tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano part acts as punctuation for the vocal phrases. The piano part has repeated rhythmic and melodic gestures throughout the song. The voice is independent and unaccompanied for most of the song. The vocal part has many difficult leaps. Emphasis is placed on melodic motion involving whole steps and minor thirds throughout the vocal part. The text is about lamps with metaphors on love and sex. An emotionally mature singer is necessary. 7. Pledge. Range: b – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The vocal part begins with unaccompanied phrases. The piano does accompany the voice for most of the song. The voice has long, lyrical phrases that often begin with leaps of a seventh. A whole-tone scale is incorporated throughout the song. The song is tonal with many dissonances and unexpected harmonic progressions. 8. An Upward Look. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. Both piano and voice build in dynamics, tempo, and rhythmic complexity, as well as climbing in pitch, throughout the song. Much tension is created as the song progresses. The voice has many octave leaps and quickly moving rhythmic motives. The piano accompaniment has primarily block chords. The text is on an ending love and is filled with natural imagery.

Figments. Texts by Alice Wirth Gray. Published in 2002 by Carl Fischer. Dedicated to

165 Paul Sperry. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Gravity. Range: b – g2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about books falling off the shelves in an earthquake. The vocal part is lyrical and has many large leaps within the phrases. The piano accompaniment alternates between expansive, block chords and intricate rhythms and quick harmonic rhythm. 2. Why We Have Cuts. Range: c1 – d2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The text is humorous and requires good acting skills. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The tempo is quick, and there is steady quarter note motion in both piano and voice. The vocal phrases are lengthy. 3. The End of Daylight Savings Time. Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice begins the song unaccompanied. The vocal phrases are long and have many octave leaps. The piano has expansive chords that have planing motion throughout. The song is pitch-centric with many difficult intervals to sing and dissonances between the voice and piano. The text is on food rationing during war. 4. Zoo Prepares to Adopt Metric System. Range: b – b1. The entire vocal line is sung on b1 with the final two measures on b. Recommended for any fach. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderate. The difficulty of the vocal and piano parts is in the rhythmic motives. The text is humorous and requires

166 keen acting skills. 5. Lines After Marianne Moore. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is humorous and requires good acting skills. The vocal phrases are lyrical, lengthy and arching in contour. The piano accompaniment has sustained block chords that allow the vocal melody and text to be highlighted. There is emphasis on whole-tone motion in both piano and voice. 6. Deer in Mist and Almonds. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal phrases are long and require the navigation of large leaps in the voice. There is much text and imagery, and because of the tessitura, diction may be a problem. High pitches are sustained in the voice. The piano part has a similar plodding motion to the voice. The piano does not double the voice. The song has blurred tonality. 7. The Poetry of Sausages: Morcilla. Range: a-sharp – b2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The text is on cooking, love, choices and music. The vocal melody has short, clipped phrases. The meter is constantly changing among complex meters. There are many articulations and dynamics in the score for voice and piano. The song is lengthy and requires stamina in the performers.

The Heart of a Stranger. Published in 2002 by Carl Fischer.

167 1. Symmetry. Text by Andrei Codrescu. Dedicated to Paul Kreider. Range: b – fsharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for low medium low voice. The vocal line is difficult. The piano part is moderate. The song is short with an unusual text on people who hurt us. The voice has unaccompanied sections, and sections with piano accompaniment. Ensemble can be a problem in this song because of a repeated syncopated pattern in the piano and triplets in the voice. 2. Evening Twilight. Text by Charles Baudelaire; translated by Hagen. Dedicated to Rosamond Casey. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium low voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The voice has a lyrical, tuneful melody throughout. The piano begins by echoing the vocal melody but develops into an undulating pattern for most of the song. There is much emphasis on whole and half-steps in the voice throughout the song. 3. It Weeps in my Heart. Text by Paul Verlaine; translated by Hagen. Dedicated to Robin Leebardt. Range: d-flat1 – g-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with dissonances. The piano accompaniment doubles the vocal line often. The steady eighth notes in the piano suggest the weeping and raining found in the text. The vocal melody is repetitious, and builds in momentum and pitch to the end. 4. To Nobodaddy. Text by William Blake. Dedicated to Emerson Rhoads on the day of his birth. Range: c-shap1 – d2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is easy. The song is

168 extremely brief. Both the piano and vocal parts punctuate each other. The texture is very thin and the articulation is often staccato in both parts. The rhythm, specifically the many rests in both parts, may cause ensemble issues. 5. Dawlish Fair. Text by John Keats. Dedicated to Paul Moravec. Range: c1 – f2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is much like a folk tale. The music is set in 6/8 which gives the melody a lilt, as in a folk song. The song is tonal with much dissonance between the voice and piano. 6. Under the Night Sky. Text by Kim Roberts. Dedicated to David Del Tredici. Range: b – e2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium low voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal line is very lyrical with long, arching phrases. The accompaniment is minimalistic in rhythm and pitch. The vocal line is highlighted because of the sparse texture in the piano. A lovely song. 7. O, When I was in Love with You. Text by A. E. Houseman. Dedicated to Kevin Hagen. Range: f-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is easy. The song is short. The first half of the song has sustained chords in the piano and a lyrical melody in the vocal part. The second half has a faster tempo with block chords in the piano and the same melody in the voice. The text is humorous. 8. An Irony. Text by Gwen Hagen. Dedicated to Barry Busse. Range: b – c2. Tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for low voices. The vocal part is

169 moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with much dissonance between piano and voice. There is much emphasis in piano and voice on chromatic motion. The song has an unique text and melody. 9. Specimen Case. Text by Walt Whitman. Dedicated to Jean Kathleen Wilson. Range: d1 – a2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal part is not doubled by the piano and there are difficult leaps and unusual harmonic progressions. The piano part has intricate counterpoint within shifting meters. The text is a story about a little boy who is dying. 10. Song. Text by Theodore Roethke. Dedicated to Steve Burke. Range: a – d2. Tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for low voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal part is highlighted through the melody and rhythmic motion of the vocal line. The piano has sustained chords throughout the song. The song is pitch-centric with many dissonances between the voice and piano. The vocal line has many triplet figures, and a constantly shifting meter.

Larkin Songs. Texts by Philip Larkin. Published in 2002 by Carl Fischer. Dedicated to Paul Kreider. For medium low voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1a. Going. Range: b – d2. Tessitura is moderate. Vocal line is difficult. Piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is quasi-recitative and short. The vocal line is accompanied by sustained pitches in the piano. The texture of the song is very thin, and the voice is exposed throughout.

170 1b. Coming. Range: b-flat – d-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately low. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on the very early signs of spring. The piano accompaniment does not double the voice. The piano part is pointilistic and the vocal line is lyrical and sustained. The song is pitch-centric with many dissonances. 2. Interlude #1: Fiction and the Reading Public. Range: a – d2. Tessitura is low. Vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is humorous. The accompaniment is sparse with only a bass line and punctuating chords for most of the song. The vocal part is highlighted because of the thin texture of the accompaniment. The voice has many articulation markings. 3a. Counting. Range: b – d2. Tessitura is low. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is on the vulnerability of a relationship and is very stark and short. The song is short. The texture is thin. 3b. ‘None of the books have time.’ Range: c1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal line is moderate. The piano part is easy. The text is on selfishness verses selflessness. The text is stated as matter of fact. The song is tonal. The harmonies and melody line in both parts lack emotion. The piano has block chords with a walking bass line. The vocal line is lyrical and is comprised of steady quarter note motion. 4a. ‘Within the dream you said.’ Range: a –d2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The song is unaccompanied. The song is very short. The meters shift and are unusual. The melody is lyrical. There is no break between this song and the next.

171 4b. Talking in Bed. Range: b – e2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate in difficult. The text is on dishonesty between two lovers; this song requires an emotionally mature singer. The voice is lyrical and the text is set syllabically. The piano accompaniment moves in steady quarter note motion with regular syncopations. The accompaniment doubles the voice in many places. 5. Interlude #2: ‘To write one song, I said.’ Dedicated to Marie Lyons. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal line is difficult. The accompaniment is difficult. The piano does not double the voice. The piano part has syncopations and rapidly repeated notes that create urgency. There is a substantial piano introduction. 6a. ‘Morning at last: there is snow.’ Range: a – c2. Tessitura is low. Vocal part is moderate. The piano part is difficult. The vocal phrases are long and each is set apart by a phrase of piano accompaniment. The voice is generally accompanied by sustained chords, suggestive of a recitative. 6b. The White Palace. Range: b – d2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The accompaniment is moderate. The piano does not double the voice. There are unusual, shifting meters throughout the song. The piano interludes between phrases have intricate counterpoint, and blocked chords accompany the voice. The melody is tuneful and the vocal line is very lyrical.

Letting Go. Published in 2002 by Carl Fischer. Dedicated to Gilda Marie Lyons. 1. A Suite of Appearances. Text by Mark Strand. Range: c1 – f2. Tessitura is

172 moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is easy. The vocal part has many wide leaps and unusual intervals. The piano accompaniment gives no help to the vocal line because it is essentially a drone throughout. The singer must be independent and have a strong pitch memory. 2. Ferry Me across the Water. Text by Christina Rosetti. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is marked flexible. The steady eighth notes in the vocal and piano parts, along with the syncopations in both parts, may cause ensemble issues. The voice has many large leaps and is not doubled in the piano part. Flat third scale degrees are emphasized and create a sound that is similar to a blues scale. 3. Ghost Letter. Text by Richard McCann. Range: g – g2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on grieving and requires a mature, sensitive singer. The singer must be able to produce the low notes, as much of the song is in the lower part of the range. The singer must also be able to sustain the highest pitches, as the end has long, sustained phrases on the highest part of the range. The piano accompaniment is static for much of the song. 4. I’ll sing a song to my love. Text by Gwen Hagen. Dedicated to the memory of his parents. Range: g – a-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for mezzosoprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. A wide range is necessary for the singer. There are melismas in the

173 vocal part. The piano has a combination of repeated pitches and a countermelody. The song is tonal with blurred tonality in places. 5. Prayer to Sparrow in Two Seasons. Text by Jeffrey Skinner. Range: b – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on a person’s experiences with sparrows and is very illustrative with images. The vocal phrases are lengthy and have sustained high pitches. The piano phrases punctuate the vocal phrases and provide momentum to the song. Tonality is blurred in places. 6. The Second Law. Text by Stephen Sandy. Dedicated to the memory of James Holmes. Range: b – e2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzosoprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on a loved one dying in the hospital, and it requires an emotionally mature singer. The text is very sensual and matches well to the rhythm and inflection of natural speech. It is a very poignant song. 7. Psalm 150. Text is biblical. Dedicated to Kristie Foell and Chris Williams on their wedding day. Range: b-flat – g2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The vocal line is angular and has many articulation markings. The piano accompaniment has scalar motion and many phrase and articulation markings. Dynamics in both piano and voice are very specific in the score.

Love in a Life. Published in 2002 by Carl Fischer.

174 1. Love in a Life. Text by Robert Browning. Dedicated to Paul and Rebecca Kreider. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The song is not tonal, but moves through various pitch centricities. The vocal line has difficult intervals and has angular, irregular phrases that match the text structure. The piano has much motion, but does not double the voice. The text is on searching for love. 2. Congedo. Text by Nuar Alsadir. Dedicated to Nuar. Range: c1 – g2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The text is on the aftermath of love. The voice begins unaccompanied and has sparse accompaniment for most of the song. The piano part has melodic and rhythmic interest between vocal phrases. The song has blurred tonality. 3. Ample Make This Bed. Text by Emily Dickinson. Dedicated to Robert La Rue. Range: c1 – g-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal line is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is short and very straight forward in rhythm. The vocal part has many wide leaps. The piano has block chords and much steady quarter note motion. The tempo is moderate. The piano does not double the voice. The song is tonal. 4. Stanzas for Music. Text by George Gordon, Lord Byron. Dedicated to Craig Urquhart. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is moderately fast and there is much motion in both piano and voice.

175 The song is tonal with much dissonance between voice and piano. The highest pitches of the song are sustained in the vocal line. The text is on beauty and love. 5. The Waking. Text by Theodore Roethke. Dedicated to the memory of Norman Stumpf. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice has a steady, plodding motion of quarter notes throughout. The piano part has consistently steady half note block chords throughout. The tension builds through the middle of the song. The song is tonal with many dissonances. Tempi, articulations, and dynamics are well marked in both the piano and voice. 6a. To You. Text by Walt Whitman. Range: e-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium or high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal line has complex rhythms and intervals. The piano part has extended chords with unexpected harmonies. The song is atonal. The piano doubles the voice in places. The song is very short. 6b. To You. Text by Walt Whitman. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium or high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is in compound triple meter. There is much syncopation in the piano accompaniment. The song is brief, and half of the length of the song is a piano introduction. 6. Love. Text by Thomas Lodge. Dedicated to Margaret Bergamini. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There are many shifts in meter and tempo throughout the song. The piano does not double the voice. The

176 voice has both angular and legato phrases. The vocal phrases are lengthy. The piano accompaniment has much motion and unexpected harmonies. The song has blurred tonality. The text is on the desire for love from a particular man.

Muldoon Songs. Texts by Paul Muldoon. Published in 2000 by Carl Fischer. 1. The Waking Father. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium or high voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The vocal part has long, lyrical phrases with many large leaps. The piano accompaniment has extended rolled chords with colorful harmonies. 2. Thrush. Range: b – f2. Tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal phrases are of moderate length and have conjunct motion. The piano accompaniment supports the voice harmonically and doubles the voice at times. The song is tonal with dissonances. There is much text. 3. Blemish. Range: e-flat1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is easy. The song is very brief. The text is about a girl with one blue and one brown eye. The singer is instructed in the score to sing the entire song in one breath; there are many words and the single phrase is lengthy. The piano accompaniment is sparse and articulates the vocal phrase. 4. Mink. Range: e-flat1 – d2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is easy. The piano part is easy. The text is

177 humorous. The piano part has a bass line with punctuating chords in the right hand. The voice has short phrases and many unusual words. 5. Bran. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is peculiar and is about love and passion; a mature singer is necessary. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The singer must have a strong pitch memory. The piano accompaniment has quick rhythmic motion and shifting meters. 6. Vico. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is full of unusual words and is humorous. Excellent diction is necessary. The vocal phrases are lengthy and repetitive. The piano accompaniment has punctuating phrases and is repetitive. 7. Holy Thursday. Range: b-flat – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about a dinner date of a couple that has fallen out of love. The vocal phrases are long and angular. The piano accompaniment has sustained chords that provide harmonic support for the voice. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The harmonies are at times unexpected and very lush.

Phantoms of Myself. Texts by Susan Griffin. Published in 2002 by Carl Fischer. Composed for soprano. The songs should be sung as a cycle.

178 1. I Wake Thinking of Myself as a Man. Range: d1 – c3. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal part has angular phrases with rhythms that have duple and triple groupings juxtaposed. The piano accompaniment has three staves for most of the song. The text is humorous, and it requires good acting skills. 2. A Story. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on love and is filled with colorful images. Diction could pose a problem for singers because of the quick tempo, syllabic text setting, and high pitches. The meter shifts regularly between duple and triple compound meters. The accompaniment has much motion throughout, and at times doubles the voice. 3. Confession. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. Tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is marked to be in the tempo of “Gymnopedie.” The vocal line has a lilting rhythm with arching legato phrases. The piano accompaniment has a countermelody in the right hand and strong bass motion in the left hand. The text is dark and requires a mature singer. 4. Her Sadness Runs Beside Her Like a Horse. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. Tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The rhythm is driving in both voice and piano throughout. The piano has quick rhythms that suggest the pounding of the horse’s hooves. The vocal phrases are sustained. There are many complex meter changes throughout, and ensemble may be a problem. The text requires great acting skills.

179 5. Quiet, quiet heart. Dedicated to the beloved memory of Clara. Range: d1 – f2. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderate. The vocal phrases are very long and sustained. The piano accompaniment is static beneath the vocal phrases and has motion between the vocal phrases. The text is on grief and death, and it requires a mature singer. 6. Absence. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal line is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on dealing with grief, and it requires a mature singer. The vocal phrases are often unaccompanied and require an independent singer with a strong sense of rhythm and pitch memory. The song has blurred tonality. The piano accompaniment has blocked chords and is much like a hymn. The vocal phrases have sustained high pitches. 7. I wake to your gestures. Range: b-flat – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano part has three staves of music throughout. The melodic interest is found in the middle line of the piano. The voice has arching, lyrical phrases. The length of the phrases is demanding for singers. The song is tonal with many dissonances and has several key areas. The piano doubles the voice at times. The texture and harmonic colors are rich.

Songs of Experience. Published in 2007 by Burning Sled Music. Dedicated to Nicole Cherniak Hyde. Composed for medium voice. 1. Youth, Day, Old Age, and Night. Text by Walt Whitman. Dedicated to Douglas Hines. Range: a – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The

180 piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on perspective in youth and in old age. The piano accompaniment has a very sparse texture. The vocal melody and piano accompaniment commonly have dissonant intervals, specifically major seconds. The meter shifts frequently to align with the text stress. 2. Amelia’s Song. Text by Gardner McFall. Dedicated to Gardner McFall and Peter Olberg. Range: a – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about flying up to the stars; it is a possible reference to death. The vocal melody and piano accompaniment are offset by several beats. There is much syncopation in the piano and voice. The vocal melody has ascending momentum and sustained high pitches. 3. Wisdom. Text by Sara Teasdale. Dedicated to Nathan Gunn. Range: c1 – fsharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Counterpoint of several voices occurs throughout in the piano accompaniment. The vocal melody is quickly moving with much syncopation and dissonance with the accompaniment. The song is pitch-centric. The text is on regrets. 4. Elegy for Ray Charles. Text by Stephen Dunn. Dedicated to Stephen Dunn. Range: c1 – c2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is very brief. The score is marked ‘free and simple.’ There is dissonance between the vocal and piano parts. The voice is highly independent of the piano accompaniment. 5. The Stranger’s Grave. Text by Emily Lawless. Range: c-sharp1 – f2. The

181 tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about the loss of youth and innocence. The poem and melody are haunting. The vocal melody is unaccompanied in places. The piano accompaniment alternates between sustained and plodding rhythmic motion. The vocal melody has melodic and rhythmic interest. The song is pitch-centric. 6. Two Butterflies. Text by Emily Dickinson. Dedicated to Hagen’s wife. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The accompaniment has four-voice counterpoint throughout. The vocal melody is at times doubled in the piano. The song is tonal. The vocal phrases begin on the second half of the downbeats of measures. A charming song.

182 CHAPTER XV JOHN HARBISON

Biography and Style John Harbison was born in 1938 into a musical family. Harbison completed his undergraduate degree at Harvard University, and earned his master’s degree from Princeton University. Harbison has taught composition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for much of his career. A prolific composer, Harbison’s works include five symphonies, four string quartets, a cantata, numerous chamber and choral works, a ballet, three operas, and many songs. Harbison also composes and arranges jazz pieces. On a commission from the Metropolitan Opera, Harbison composed his opera The Great Gatsby to his own libretto. Other notable commissions include those from the Chicago Lyric Opera, Chicago Symphony, New York Philharmonic and the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Harbison has served as composer-in-residence for many festivals and associations, including the Pittsburgh Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Tanglewood Festival, and Aspen Music Festival. He has also conducted many reputable orchestras, chamber groups and choral ensembles such as Los Angeles Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, and the Handel and Haydn Society. Currently Harbison is serving as Acting Artistic Director of Emmanuel Music in Boston, co-Artistic Director of the Token Creek Chamber Music Festival and President of the Copland Fund for Music. Harbison has received many awards for his compositions and his teaching, including the Heinz Award for the Arts and Humanities, the Kennedy Center Friedheim

183 First Prize, a MacArthur Fellowship, a Pulitzer Prize, and an award from the American Music Center’s Letter of Distinction. Harbison resides with his wife and concert violinist, Rose Mary Pederson, in Massachusetts. Harbison’s compositional style is varied. The vocal phrases are shaped to the text inflection, and there is much text painting in the vocal and piano parts, including wide leaps and melismatic material. The piano and vocal parts are generally difficult, due to wide tessituras, complex rhythms, shifting meters, and difficult intervallic content. Lush, romantic harmonies, intricate counterpoint, and jazz idioms all are in Harbison’s vocal compositions. Harbison composes for all voice types; his works for mezzo-soprano and baritone are especially fine.

Song Annotations Mottetti di Montale. Texts by Eugenio Montale; the texts are in Italian. Published in 1981 by Associated Music Publishers. Dedicated to the poet on his 85th birthday. Book 1-4. 1. Range: a – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The song is atonal. Both piano and voice have complex rhythms that do not overlap. The piano and voice have many dissonances. The vocal phrases are lyrical. 2. Range: d1- a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric. The tempo is fast. The voice has long, lyrical phrases with several quick melismas. Thirds are

184 emphasized in both piano and voice. The piano texture is very dense. 3. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric. There are many harsh dissonances between voice and piano. The voice has wide leaps and many arpeggiations of extended chords. The piano part has dense, quickly moving harmonies. The piano has several interludes. The text is about war and exile; it requires an emotionally mature singer. 4. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The rhythms in both piano and voice are very complex and do not overlap. Ensemble may be a problem. The singer needs to have excellent pitch memory. The song is atonal. The tempo is quick. 5. Range: b – f-sharp. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal part has quick rhythmic units with emphasis on chromatic motion. There is a lengthy melisma at the end. The piano part has repetitious rhythmic units and a substantial interlude in the middle of the song. 6. Range: a – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part and piano accompaniment are difficult. The vocal line has wide leaps with syncopations throughout. Many of the vocal phrases are very short and irregular in length to match the text. The piano part has many syncopations and shifts between clefs. The song is atonal. The text is on a lost love. 7. Range: a – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The song is pitch-centric. The piano does not double the voice.

185 Complicated rhythms in both piano and voice in combination with a quick tempo may cause problems with ensemble. The piano alternates between a dense and transparent texture. 8. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast. The piano accompaniment has a repeated rhythmic and melodic motives throughout much of the song. The piano does not double the voice and provides little harmonic or rhythmic support. The voice has long, sustained phrases with large leaps. The text is has much imagery of the natural world as metaphors for love. 9. Range: g-sharp – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal phrases are very short and angular. The piano accompaniment has long, scalar phrases between the vocal phrases, and the piano has sustained chords overlapping the vocal phrases. The song is atonal. 10. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is very fast. The song is pitch-centric with many dissonances between voice and piano and much emphasis on chromaticism. The voice has wide leaps within short phrases. Dynamics changes are sudden in both piano and voice. The piano alternates between sustained chords and planing arpeggiations. The text contains much natural imagery. 11. Range: b-flat – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal, with blurring of tonality in places. The voice has many leaps and much chromatic motion. The piano accompaniment has quick rhythmic motives that have many dissonances with the

186 voice. The text is about the perseverance of the soul. 12. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is adagio. The vocal part has the melody and rhythmic interest in the song. The voice has many octave and larger leaps. The voice has several melismas with chromatic movement. The piano accompaniment has sustained block chords that form extended chords. The piano does not double the voice. 13. Range: b-flat – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on gondolas. The tempo is moderately slow. The song is pitch-centric. The vocal phrases are long with sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment has a repeated rhythmic unit under the voice. During interludes, the piano has rhythmic flourishes. 14. Range: c-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is extremely fast. Both piano and voice have quick rhythmic figures throughout the song. The voice has several melismas with ornamentation. The meter changes frequently, along with the dynamics and articulation markings. There is a vocal trill in the final section of the song. 15. Range: b – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast. The vocal part has quickly moving rhythms, and arching phrases of moderate length. The piano has syncopations throughout that do not align with the voice. The song is atonal. 16. Range: b-flat – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult.

187 The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is largo and the meter is in 6/4. The voice has irregular phrase lengths and shapes. High pitches are often sustained in the voice. The piano has a repeated rhythmic unit throughout the song. Dynamics and articulations are well marked in the score. The text is on the separation of lovers. 17. Range: g-sharp – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The text is an elaborate description of several creatures in nature. The form of the song matches the textual form, and is very intricate and changes abruptly. The voice is angular with wide leaps; the voice has irregular phrase lengths that match the text. The piano accompaniment has an important role in this song using text painting. The piano has many complex rhythmic figures and ornamentations. The song is pitch-centric. 18. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal phrases are very long with sustained, arching melodic contours. The voice is exposed, as much of the song is unaccompanied. The piano does have punctuating ideas at the ends of the vocal phrases, but the piano does not double the voice. The tempo is slow and requires stamina in the singer. 19. Range: b-flat – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal phrases are very long and have intricate rhythms and chromatic motion. The voice has several long melismas and sustained high pitches. The song is atonal. The tempo is slow. The piano part has quickly moving rhythmic figures. The piano does, at times, double the voice.

188 The text is on the passage of time. 20. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a combination of natural images and manmade images. The tempo is moderate. The vocal line moves steadily throughout, with long phrases and a disjunct melody. The piano accompaniment has rapid motion, with several lengthy interludes. The song is pitch-centric.

Mirabai Songs. Texts by Mirabai; translated by Robert Bly. Published in 1983 by Associated Music Publishers. Composed for soprano or mezzo-soprano. 1. It’s True, I Went to the Market. Dedicated to Janice Felty. Range: b – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is complex and requires a mature singer. The voice has long phrases with many sustained high pitches. The piano part has much rhythmic movement and quick harmonic rhythm. The song is pitch-centric. 2. All I was Doing was Breathing. Dedicated to Jan DeGaetani. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Very many meter changes occur throughout the song. This, along with the consistent syncopations in the piano, creates a sense of timelessness. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The text is on sexual attraction and requires a mature singer. 3. Why Mira Can’t go Back to her Old House. Dedicated to Susan Larson. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is atonal. Repeated melodic motives in the

189 voice provide structure. There are many shifts in meters and the tempo is fast. Much emphasis is given to chromatic motion in the piano and voice. 4. Where did You Go? Dedicated to D’Anna Fortunato. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is moderate. The tempo is slow and piano and voice are lyrical. The piano part has a repeated rhythmic motive that provides momentum, but not harmonic support for the voice. The vocal phrases are irregular lengths to match the text. The song is pitch-centric. The voice has primarily syllabic text setting with a long melisma at the end. 5. The Clouds. Dedicated to Joan Heller. Range: d-falt1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There are many meter shifts throughout. The song is lengthy. The vocal phrases are long and irregular, and they require stamina of the singer. The piano part does not double the voice. The piano has a lengthy interlude. The song is atonal. 6. Don’t Go, Don’t Go. Dedicated to Susan Quittmeyer. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The texture of the song is very dense. Diction may pose a problem because of the wide tessitura and thick texture. There are many shifts in meter, tempi, dynamics and articulations in voice and piano.

The Flute of Interior Time. Text by Kabir, translated by Robert Bly. Published in 1993 by Boosey & Hawkes in the Aids Quilt Songbook. Dedicated to Will Parker. Range: b – d2. Tessitura is in a middle low range for most singers. Appropriate for male or female

190 voices. Vocal part is moderately difficult due to the metric and rhythmic intricacies. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text addresses time and love. The song is in a minor mode with much text painting.

Simple Daylight. Texts by Michael Fried. Published in 1995 by Associated Music Publishers. Dedicated to Dawn Upshaw. Composed for soprano. 1. Japan. Range: c-sharp1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song has blurred tonality. The piano and voice parts have complicated rhythmic units that do not overlap. The voice has large leaps within phrases and difficult intervals to navigate. The voice also has melismatic passages. 2. Simple Daylight. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric, and there are many dissonances between voice and piano. The voice has long, lyrical phrases with sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment has movement in the rhythmic units and creates tension with suspensions. The text is on yearning. 3. Somewhere a Seed. Range: d-flat1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on seemingly good things evolving into bad things; it requires a mature singer. The piano accompaniment is equal in importance to the vocal line. The piano has several interludes and a postlude. The tempo is fast and there are quick rhythms in the voice and piano. The vocal line is disjunct with many difficult leaps. The piano

191 doubles the voice in places and has dissonances in other places. 4. Your Name. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano part has an incessant rhythmic figure on differing pitches throughout the song. The voice has sustained phrases that are irregular in length. At times the voice imitates the rhythmic units in the piano. There are many shifts in dynamics and articulation in both piano and voice throughout. 5. The Wild Irises. Range: c-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is abstract and passionate. The piano and voice have specific dynamics, articulations, and tempi changes throughout the song. The voice has melismas with much ornamentation. The piano accompaniment has repeated syncopations and increasing rhythmic motion throughout. 6. Odor. Range: d-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano has repeated rhythmic and melodic figures throughout. The piano has primarily twopart counterpoint throughout the song. The vocal phrases are long, lyrical and irregular in length. The voice is not doubled by the piano. Many high pitches are sustained in the voice with immediate leaps to the lower part of the range. The text is sensual and requires a mature singer.

Flashes and Illuminations. Published in 2000 by Associated Music Publishers. Dedicated to Sanford Sylvan and David Breitman. Composed for baritone.

192 1. On the Greve. Text by Eugenio Montale; translated by Harbison. Range: G – e1. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric. The voice has many octave leaps and undulating eighth note motives that incorporate whole and half-step motion. The piano part is comprised of steadily moving sixteenth note figures with two-part counterpoint between hands. 2. Chemin de Fer. Text by Elizabeth Bishop. Range: c – g1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is an unusual story about a hermit and love. The song is atonal. The voice does not have much melodic motion. The voice has conjunct motion in the range of a third in most phrases. The lack of melodic motion emphasizes the text. The piano has quickly moving rhythms and a very dense texture. The piano often doubles the voice. 3. The Winds of Dawn. Text by Michael Fried. Range: d – g1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is full of bold images and requires a mature singer. The voice moves in duple figures against triplet figures in the piano. There are shifting meters and many dynamic and articulation markings. The song is atonal. 4. Cirque d’Hiver. Text by Elizabeth Bishop. Range: A-sharp – f1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The song is atonal. The text is about a toy horse and dancer; the metaphor is of a relationship. The piano part has a repeated figure that is suggestive of the movement of the toy. The voice has repeated rhythmic and melodic motives. The score is very specific

193 in dynamics, articulations and phrasing in piano and voice. The song is lengthy and requires stamina in both performers. 5. To be Recited to Flossie on her Birthday. Text by William Charles Williams. Range: G – e-flat1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is moderate. The song is pitch-centric. The song is brief with an unusual text. The voice has several melismas. Movement of thirds is emphasized in the voice. The piano part has consistent, sustained chordal motion that supports the vocal melody. The tempo is adagio. 6. December 1. Text by Czeslaw Milosz. Range: c – f1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. Ensemble may be a problem because of many shifting meters and complex rhythms in both voice and piano. The song is atonal. The voice and piano share motives throughout the song that create unity. The text is a picture of vineyard country, with lots of colors and sensual imagery.

North and South. Texts by Emily Bishop. Published in 2001 by Associated Music Publishers. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Book I. Dedicated to Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. 1. Ballad for Billie I. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitchcentric. The voice has repeated rhythmic and melodic motives that unify the form. The piano doubles the voice in places. The piano has a very dense texture throughout and has lots of rich colors in the harmonies. Ninth chords are outlined

194 in the voice and piano throughout. The text is about financial hardships in a marriage and requires a mature singer. 2. Late Air. Range: a-sharp – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part and piano accompaniment are difficult. The song is atonal with unifying motives throughout. The voice has many triplet figures and outlines extended chords repeatedly. The piano has repetitious scalar figures in sextuplet groupings. 3. Breakfast Song. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is atonal. The song is in ABA form. Sequential figures in the voice involving whole and half-step motion are repeated. The piano has staggered phrases with the voice. The piano doubles some pitches in the voice, but the two parts do not share the same melody lines. Book II. Dedicated to Janice Felty. 1. Ballad for Billie II. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric. Unifying motives in the voice and piano create stability. There are syncopations in the voice and piano. The vocal phrases are long. The piano has a dense texture with quickly moving rhythms. The melodic interest of the song is entirely in the voice. 2. Song. Range: c1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is pitch-centric. The voice has long, lyrical phrases. The piano has repetitive arching phrases beneath that support the voice. The tempo is tranquil. The text paints the picture of a night by the ocean.

195 3. Dear, My Compass… Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is atonal. The interval of a tritone is emphasized in the piano. The voice has angular phrases with many large leaps. The piano has rapidly repeating sixteenth note figures that support the voice rhythmically and give frantic energy to the song. The text is of a fairy tale gone wrong.

Milosz Songs. Texts by Czeslaw Milosz. Published in 2006 by Associated Music Publishers. Composed for high voice. Originally scored for orchestra. Should be performed as a cycle. 1. Prologue: from Lauda. Range: e-sharp1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is short and has a very slow tempo. The voice has incessant leaps of octave or seventh intervals. The piano does not double the voice, and there is much dissonance between the voice and piano. 2. What Once Was Great. Range: f-sharp1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There is a lengthy piano prelude, interlude and postlude. The vocal melody is presented first in the piano accompaniment; the parts do not align, but are one beat offset, creating much dissonance. The voice has syncopated rhythms. There is text painting. The text is about yearning for a past way of life. 3. So Little. Range: e1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is very fast. There is much

196 syncopation in the piano and voice. Articulations and dynamics shift frequently and are well marked in the score. The voice has many large intervallic ascending and descending leaps. The piano has much scalar and broken chord motion. The song is tonal with much dissonance. 4. When the Moon. Range: d-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the ways women carry themselves in public. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases. There are many sustained high pitches. The piano has expansive chords and doubles the vocal melody in places. Much chromaticism occurs throughout. 5. On Old Women. Range: c-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a younger person imagining the terrible things old women have seen in their lifetimes. The song is long and requires vocal stamina. The piano part is equal in importance to the vocal melody. The vocal melody has long, sustained phrases with disjunct motion. The voice is not doubled by the piano accompaniment. There are many dissonant harmonies and chromatic lines to navigate. 6. Epilogue: from Winter. Range: a-sharp – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about age and out-running death. The vocal melody is disjunct with much dissonance and syncopated rhythms. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice for much of the song. 7. Post-Epilogue: Rays of Dazzling Light. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is

197 about the end of life’s journey and the beginning of the life after. The text is spiritual but not religious. The tempo is very fast, and the meter shifts several times. The piano accompaniment has lively interludes between vocal phrases and has more subdued rhythms under the vocal melody. The piano and voice have close, dissonant harmonies.

Vocalism. Text by Walt Whitman. Published by Associated Music Publishers in 2009. Dedicated to Marc Stern and his music-loving family, supporters of Songfest and of good singing. Range: c-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the power of the human voice and of singing; the poem celebrates singing. The vocal melody is dominant. Dynamics, articulations, and tempi are clearly marked in the score. The vocal melody has many sustained, lyrical phrases; it also contains short, accented phrases with disjunct phrases. The piano accompaniment is harmonically and rhythmically supportive of the vocal melody, with repetitious motivic material.

198 CHAPTER XVI JAKE HEGGIE

Biography and Style Jake Heggie was born on March 31, 1961 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Heggie spent his early years in small-town Ohio. Heggie’s father was an amateur saxophonist, and Heggie began piano lessons at age 5. After the death of his father at age 10, his mother moved the family to San Francisco. Heggie studied piano in Paris for two years as an adolescent. He returned to the United States and began piano lessons at the University of California, Los Angeles. Heggie studied with Johana Harris, the wife of the late composer Roy Harris. Heggie married Johana Harris in 1982, and they divorced in 1993. Heggie experienced a neurological disorder in 1988, which affected his right hand, and halted his ability to play the piano. Heggie did regain the ability to play the piano after rehabilitation. However, in the mean time, he found a job in the publicrelations department of the San Francisco Opera. During this time he devoted himself to composition, and it was at the SFO that Heggie gained the friendship and professional following of many leading classical singers, many of whom performed his works. Heggie has written five operas, music for two stage works, more than 200 art songs, and many other pieces for orchestra, chorus, and chamber groups. His opera, Moby Dick, received its world premier at the Dallas Opera in 2010. Heggie’s works are regularly performed internationally. His opera Dead Man Walking has been performed more than 150 times since the premier in 2000.

199 Heggie has received numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. He has been the composer-in-residence for the San Francisco Opera, Eos Orchestra and Vail Valley Music Festival. The composer works as a coach and teacher, and gives classes throughout the United States at universities and music festivals. Heggie lives in San Francisco with his husband, singer Curt Branom. Heggie has a unique compositional style. He uses hints of cabaret, musical theater, popular music, blues and jazz idioms within his music. The songs are tonal. The texts are often witty, and the music matches the clever lyrics well. While the vocal melodies are lyrical, the songs are often technically difficult, with wide tessituras, long phrases, sustained high pitches, and wide leaps to navigate. The piano accompaniments are complicated and demanding, with warm harmonies, dense textures, and complex rhythmic ideas. The accompaniments are separate from and equal in importance to the vocal melodies.

Song Annotations The Faces of Love. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1999 by Schirmer. Composed for soprano. 1. I shall not live in vain. Dedicated to Renee Fleming. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice has expansive arpeggiations and sustained high pitches. The piano has quickly moving rhythms and does not double the voice. The song is tonal with dissonances. 2. As well as Jesus? Dedicated to Kristin Clayton. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is

200 moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderate. The song is tonal with unexpected harmonies. The voice has short phrases that match the form of the text. The dynamics in the voice are reserved. The piano has a repeated eighth note figure and does not double the voice. 3. If You Were Coming in the Fall. Text by Emily Dickinson.. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. Tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voice-types. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Accompaniment is difficult. Text is about hope and fear, and life and death. The accompaniment has intricate eighth-note figures and the voice has sustained phrases. 4. It makes no difference abroad. Dedicated to Carol Vaness. Range: c1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal. The voice has large leaps and long, lyrical phrases. The voice is not doubled in the piano. The piano has two-part counterpoint. 5. At last, to be identified! Dedicated to Nicolle Foland. Range: e1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The voice has long, sustained high pitches and several melismas. The piano has triplet figures that create tension against the duple figures in the vocal melody.

Sophie’s Song. Text by Frederica von Stade. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Jennifer Larmore. Range: b – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for mezzosoprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderate. The text is about a little girl who is a star in the singer’s eyes. The tempo is moderate. The voice has a repetitive melody, and the piano provides harmonic and rhythmic structure in the

201 accompaniment.

Eve-Song. Texts by Philip Littell. Published in 1999 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Kristin Clayton. Composed for soprano. 1. My Name. Range: e-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice has long, irregular phrases, several vocalises and difficult leaps. The piano and voice have complex rhythms. The song is long and requires stamina. 2. Even. Range: d1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano is moderate. The voice is consistent with long, legato phrases throughout the song. The two-part counterpoint in the piano provides momentum and atmostphere. 3. Good. Range: e1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with dissonances. The tempo is lilting. The voice has sustained high pitches that are approached through arpeggiation. 4. Listen. Range: c1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The voice has high, sustained pitches that are approached by leap. The text requires an emotionally mature singer. The piano has consistent rhythmic motion throughout. 5. Snake. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano is moderate. The piano does not double the voice and provides a transparent texture. The voice has complicated rhythmic units that

202 match the text. 6. Woe to Man. Range: e1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is passionate and ironic. The voice has extensive melismas covering a wide range and extreme dynamic levels. The tempi shifts match the form of the text. Good acting skills are required. 7. The Wound. Range: f-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The song is pitch-centric. The song has a very dense texture. The dynamics, phrasing, articulations and tempi change regularly. The text is on pregnancy and requires an emotionally mature singer. 8. The Farm. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with unexpected dissonances and harmonies. The vocal part has arching, legato phrases. Much of the text is set syllabically. The piano accompaniment punctuates the vocal melody. The tempo is moderate throughout the song. The text is on the Garden of Eden.

Natural Selection. Texts by Gini Savage. Published in 1999 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Nicolle Foland. Composed for soprano. 1. Creation. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The voice has irregular phrases, wide leaps and repetitious melodic motivic material. The piano has steady quarter note motion. There are shifting meters,

203 changing dynamics and differing articulations 2. Animal Passion. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The song has a minor tonality. The voice has wide leaps, long phrases, sustained high pitches and rhythms that suggest the speech inflection of the text. The piano part creates momentum through its rhythmic figures. The piano has rich textures and does not double the voice. The text is on the comparison of love and wild animals. 3. Alas! Alack! Range: d-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is primarily tonal. The vocal part has several glissandi, complex rhythmic units and melismas. The piano accompaniment has complex rhythms that do not align with the rhythms of the voice. The text is humorous and is about choosing the wrong man for a relationship. 4. Indian Summer – Blue. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with abundant dissonances. The voice has long sustained phrases. The blues scale is used in the piano and voice. 5. Joy Alone (Connection). Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal. The voice has long sustained high pitches and much text. The piano has three-part counterpoint.

Songs and Sonnets to Ophelia. Published in 1999 by Bent Pen Music. Composed for

204 soprano. 1. Ophelia’s Song. Text by Heggie. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with dissonances. The vocal line has repetitive melodic motives. The piano part has arpeggiated chords that create a rocking motion. The text is on unrequited love. 2. Women have Loved Before. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is long and requires stamina. The voice has many high, sustained pitches and several lengthy melimas. The piano accompaniment has intricate rhythms throughout. Ensemble may be a challenge. 3. Not in a Silver Casket. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: d-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The voice has broad, sustained phrases. The piano accompaniment has quick, complex rhythmic figures to provide momentum. The text is on love. 4. Spring. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: f1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano has quickly moving legato phrases, and many articulation markings. The voice has lyrical phrases of irregular lengths. The text is on spring and love; there are many words. Diction may pose a problem because of the tessitura.

Away in a Manger. Text by William James Kirkpatrick. Published in 2000 by Schirmer.

205 Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. There are many metrical shifts in the short song. The piano accompaniment adds momentum and a full texture to the traditional vocal melody.

Danny Boy. Text by Frederick Weatherly. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Range: b – fsharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal melody retains the traditional melody. The piano accompaniment highlights the dominant vocal melody. The piano adds rich colors and textures to the vocal line.

Dixie. Traditional text. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Jennifer Larmore. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for mezzo-soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal melody adheres closely to the traditional melody. The piano provides rhythmic interest and atmosphere.

Encountertenor. Texts by John Hall. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Brian Asawa. Composed for countertenor. 1. Countertenor’s Conundrum. Range: f-sharp – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal part has moderately long phrases with a lyrical melody. The voice has several melismas. The piano accompaniment shifts in style throughout the song; at times the piano has scalar motion, other times arpeggios. The piano

206 grows in rhythmic intensity throughout. The text is humorous and is about the historical significance of countertenors. 2. The Trouble with Trebles in Trousers. Range: g – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal phrases are irregular in length and require vocal acrobatics in the form of long phrases, melismas, extreme register changes. The piano part changes according to the text; the piano part has quick rhythmic passages, sparse texture in places, and some ornamentation. 3. A Gift to Share. Range: c1 – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal line has lyrical phrases with many large leaps. The vocal line also has melismas. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice at times. The piano has rhythmic flourishes. The text is about sharing music.

How Well I Knew the Light. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 2000 by Bent Pen Music. Dedicated to Nicolle Foland. Composed for soprano voice. 1. Ample make this Bed. Range: f1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is brief and has a slow tempo. The piano and voice have complex rhythmic units. The piano accompaniment harmonically supports the vocal melody, but does not double it. The song is tonal with chromaticism. The vocal phrases are short, but the highest pitches of the phrases are generally sustained. 2. The Sun kept setting. Range: g1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal

207 part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is moderate. The piano accompaniment is sparse in texture, but has a very wide range of pitches. The vocal melody has short rhythmic values and much syncopation. The vocal melody is generally in rhythmic groupings of two against rhythmic groupings of three in the piano accompaniment, which provides a sense of conflict.

Of Gods and Cats. Texts by Gavin Geoffrey Dillard. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Composed for mezzo-soprano. 1. In the Beginning. Dedicated to Vija Nadai. Range: a – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano is moderate. The song is pitchcentric. Chromatic and whole-tone motion are emphasized in the voice and piano. The voice has many high, sustained pitches. The text is on cat behavior and is humorous. 2. Once Upon a Universe. Dedicated to Jennifer Larmore. Range: b-flat –g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with dissonances. Both piano and voice are rhythmically complex. There is much text and the voice has high, sustained pitches. There are shifting meters. The texture becomes denser as the song progresses.

Paper Wings. Texts by Frederica von Stade. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Lisa Elkus. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Should be sung as a cycle.

208 1. Bedtime Story. Range: e-flat1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal. The text is about a little girl; it is much like a lullaby. The voice has sweeping lyrical phrases. The piano has repeated arpeggiations; the piano does not double the voice. 2. Paper Wings. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderate. The song is tonal. The tempo is fast. The text is on childhood imagination. The vocal part has sustained high pitches, and the text is set syllabically. 3. Mitten Smitten. Range: d1 – d2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The song is tonal and short. The piano has a repeated melodic and rhythmic motive to unify the formal structure. 4. A Route to the Sky. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderate. The text tells a story of a child’s adventure. The musical form matches the text. There are changes in tempi, style and dynamics throughout the song. The voice has several melismas. The voice and piano share rhythmic and melodic motives.

Songs to the Moon. Texts by Vachel Lindsay. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Flicka. Composed for mezzo-soprano. 1. Prologue: Once More – to Gloriana. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The song is tonal with some dissonances. The vocal part has long phrases. The piano part has syncopations

209 that propel the motion forward. Part I: Fairy-Tales for the Children. 2. Euclid. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with some dissonances. The voice has large leaps, and arching phrases of moderate length. The piano part has much chromatic motion. 3. The Haughty Snail-King (What Uncle William Told the Children). Range: g1 – f2. The tessitura is low. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is difficult. The song is tonal. The voice has irregular phrase lengths that are determined by the text. There are many glissandi in the voice. Good acting skills are necessary. The piano has ornamentation and rhythmic flourishes. 4. What the Rattlesnake Said. Range: c1 – f-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The song is tonal. The vocal phrases are long and have many words. The piano part has repeated syncopations in the bass-line throughout the song. The song is like a theater piece. 5. The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky (What the Little Girl Said). Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano part is moderate. Much of the vocal line is spoken. The pianist must clap and stomp. The singer must sing scat syllables. 6. What the Scarecrow Said. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The song is tonal. The vocal line has long lyrical phrases with sustained high pitches. The piano part has a repeated ascending scalar pattern.

210 7. What the Gray-Winged Fairy Said. Range: e-flat1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal and piano parts are moderate. The song is tonal. The tempo is free. The vocal and piano phrases have arching contours. The text is meant to be told to a child. 8. Yet Gentle Will the Griffin Be (What Grandpa Told the Children). Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal. The voice has many glissandi and long phrases. The voice is not doubled in the piano. Excellent acting skills required. The piano has an increasingly dense texture and more complex rhythms throughout the song.

Thoughts Unspoken. Texts by John Hall. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Earle Patriarco. 1. A Learning Experience Over Coffee. Range: c-sharp – g-sharp1. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for baritone or tenor. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal. The voice has irregular phrase lengths that match the text. There are many shifts in meters, tempi, dynamics and articulations in both voice and piano. The text is on marriage. The voice must have stamina to sing long phrases with sustained high pitches. 2. You Enter My Thoughts. Range: c – e-flat1. The tessitura is high. Recommended for baritone or tenor. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with a tuneful melody in the voice. The tempo is moderate. Syncopations in the vocal and piano parts propel

211 the song forward. The text is about thinking of one’s significant other and having a better day because of the thought. 3. To Speak of Love. Range: d – e1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for baritone or tenor. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is quick, and the meter is in 5/4. The voice has many syncopations and triplet figures against sustained chords in the piano. The song is tonal and tuneful. The text is about loving someone in a way words cannot express. 4. Unspoken Thoughts at Bedtime. Range: B – f1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for baritone or tenor. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal phrases are very long and require stamina. The text is set syllabically and there is much text. The piano doubles the voice in places. The song is tonal with a lovely melody.

Three Folk Songs. Traditional text. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Recommended for medium voices. 1. He’s Gone Away. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The voice adheres almost exclusively to the traditional melody. The vocal phrases are of moderate length and have arching legato lines. The piano accompaniment harmonically supports the vocal line, but generally does not double the voice. The piano has arpeggiations and descending scalar patterns. 2. Barb’ry Allen. Range: d1-f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is

212 moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal phrases are lyrical and the piano has a repeated rhythmic unit at the ends of the vocal phrases. There is a development section where the voice strays slightly from the traditional melody. 3. The Leather-Winged Bat. Range: c-sharp1-a2. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is very fast. The text is a story built into a verse and refrain form. Good acting skills are necessary.

To Say Before Going to Sleep. Text by Rainer Maria Rilke; translated by Renee Flemming. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Flicka. Range: e1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for mezzo-soprano. The vocal and piano parts are moderate. The song is tonal. There are shifting meters, dynamics, and tempi indicated The harmonies are colorful. The piano does not double the voice. The text setting matches the natural speech inflection.

White in the Moon. Text by A. E. Housman. Published in 2000 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Jim Low. Range: a – d2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for mezzo-soprano. The vocal and piano parts are moderate in difficulty. The song is tonal. The piano provides rich harmonic coloring. The voice has a stable tonality and metrical pulse.

The Moon is a Mirror. Text by Vachel Lindsay. Published in 2001 by Bent Pen Music. Dedicated to Bryn Terfel. Composed for baritone voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. The Strength of the Lonely. Range: c – e-flat1. The tessitura is moderately high.

213 The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal melody has sustained high pitches and varying phrase lengths. The song is tonal with dissonances. The meter shifts frequently. The piano accompaniment has complex rhythmic units and a very wide range. The piano accompaniment is independent of the voice. 2. What the Miner in the Desert Said. Range: d – d1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is very fast. The piano accompaniment has very quickly moving repetitive motives. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases to contrast with the piano accompaniment. The text is a desperate story of a miner walking in the desert. There is much chromaticism in the song, and shifting dynamics and articulations occur in the piano and voice. 3. The Old Horse in the City. Range: c-sharp – e-flat1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a dark tale of an abused horse that wishes to run away. There is text painting. The vocal melody has several melismatic passages. The piano accompaniment has ever-changing scalar and arpeggiated patterns. There is chromaticism throughout in the voice and piano. The vocal phrases are long and have sustained high pitches. 4. What the Forester Said. Range: d – d1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice for much of the song. The meter shifts frequently, and the texture is transparent. The piano accompaniment has much

214 two-part counterpoint for a large portion of the song. The vocal melody has chromaticism and complex rhythmic units. The text is a lullaby. 5. What the Snowman Said. Range: e – f1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment has quick rhythms that incorporate many arpeggiated chords. The tempo is fast, and the piano and vocal parts are independent of each other. The text is about a snowman thinking that the moon is made out of snow. In the middle of the song, the style changes to a waltz and then to a syncopated jazz style. The text is humorous, and the music matches the sentiments well.

Grow Old Along with Me! Text by Robert Browning. Published in 2004 by Bent Pen Music. Dedicated to Jane and Bob Orth. Range: c – f1. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for baritone voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal, and it has a quick tempo with lyrical style. The piano accompaniment has steady eighth notes throughout. The vocal melody has sustained, arching phrases. The text is a love poem with religious references. This song would be appropriate for a wedding.

Rise and Fall. Texts by Gene Scheer. Published in 2006 by Bent Pen Music. Composed for soprano voices. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Water Stone. Range: d-sharp1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is in first person, and it is a seduction of someone or something. There

215 are many ascending scalar patterns in the voice and piano that illustrate water. Both the piano and voice are rhythmically complex. The vocal melody behaves independently of the piano accompaniment. 2. Incantation Bowl. Range: c-sharp1 – c-sharp3. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is very fast. The text is a first person account of fearing what seems to be an imminent danger. The voice and piano are rhythmically complex. Many articulations are marked in the score. The dynamics shift between extremes. The piano and voice are independent of each other. The voice has large leaps and chromatic phrases. An unsettling song. 3. Angels’ Wings. Range: d1 – a-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a calming lullaby. The tempo is slow and sustained. The piano accompaniment is comprised of several arpeggiated chords, and many sustained block chords. The voice is exposed due to the lack of motion and texture in the piano accompaniment. There are large leaps, sustained high pitches, and lengthy phrases in the voice. 4. The Shaman. Range: c1 – d3. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text of the song is very dramatic and intense. There are many vowels sung as declamations. The words passionately describe how the mother will not be able to protect her baby from inevitable things to come. This song requires an emotionally mature singer. The voice is highly melismatic. The voice is independent of the piano

216 accompaniment, and it has much chromatic motion. It is a very powerful song.

Friendly Persuasions, Homage to Poulenc. Texts by Gene Scheer. Published in 2008 by Bent Pen Music. Composed for tenor voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Wanda Landowska. Range: f – g1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a humorous account of Poulenc telling his mother he is gay. The tempo is moderate. There are complex rhythmic motives in the piano and voice. The vocal melody has irregular phrase lengths and shapes. The vocal melody is highly independent of the piano accompaniment. 2. Pierre Bernac. Range: d – g1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about Poulenc presenting his friend Bernac with a newly composed song, which he rejects. A portion of the text is in French. The tempo is fast. The piano and voice have quickly moving lines. The piano supports the voice well harmonically, and doubles it in places. The song is tonal with much chromaticism. 3. Raymonde Linossier. Range: f – a-flat1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is full of longing for Raymonde Linossier who has left Poulenc. The piano has several short interludes. The piano accompaniment has a transparent texture with much chromaticism. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases. The falling melodic motives in the piano and voice convey the sadness of the song. 4. Paul Eluard. Range: g – a-flat1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal

217 part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about Poulenc writing music during World War II. The tempo is moderate, and the piano and vocal parts are starkly serene. The vocal melody is independent of the piano accompaniment. A song with intensity created through the lack of musical development.

218 CHAPTER XVII LEE HOIBY

Biography and Style Lee Hoiby was born in Madison, Wisconsin on February 17, 1926 into a musical family. His maternal grandfather was a violinist, and his aunts were part of an all-women touring saxophone band. Hoiby began piano lessons at the age of 5, and his father enlisted him to play piano at local bars by a very young age. Hoiby attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he studied piano with Gunnar Johansen. He worked with many musicians at the university who had fled Europe during World War II. Hoiby learned serialism techniques from Rudolph Kolisch, Arnold Schoenberg’s son-in-law and member of the quartet in residence at Madison, He also studied with Harry Partch, a composer on faculty. Hoiby’s other teachers include Egon Petri, Darius Milhaud and Samuel Barber. Hoiby won a full scholarship to study composition at Curtis Institute. He studied there under Gian Carlo Menotti at a time when Menotti’s operas were becoming popular. Menotti schooled Hoiby in the counterpoint of Palestrina. Hoiby’s first opera was performed to great success at the first Spoleto Festival in Italy in 1957. He continued to compose operas after this experience. Hoiby earned the reputation as being one of the greatest American song composers. His contribution to the genre includes nearly 100 songs. Leontyne Price worked closely with Hoiby from 1964 until her retirement in 1996. Price often performed debuts of his vocal works.

219 Hoiby’s compositions include works for chorus, orchestra, chamber ensembles, and piano. He has earned many awards and honors, including a Fulbright Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the National Institution of Arts and Letters Award, and he was featured on the American Composer’s Series at the Kennedy Center in 1990. Lee Hoiby died March 28, 2011. Hoiby’s style is neo-Romantic. Although he learned atonality, serialism and dodecaphonia in his compositional studies, he rejected those techniques for tonal, writing. Hoiby’s style is richly melodic, with lyrical vocal lines. He writes chordal textures with a combination of diatonic and chromatic harmonies. He uses motivic development. The vocal phrases have arching contours, the tessituras of his songs are limited, and the melodies are derived from textual inflections. His accompaniments share material with the voice, and his use of rhythm in the piano helps create the mood of the texts. Hoiby’s expertise as a pianist can be heard in his captivating piano parts.

Song Annotations The Tides of Sleep. Text by Thomas Wolfe. Published in 1967 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to his mother and father. Originally a symphonic song; composed for low voice and orchestra. Commonly performed with the piano reduction. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano reduction is difficult. Lush, romantic harmonies are found in the accompaniment. The voice is not doubled in the piano. The piano reduction may need to be reduced to a greater extent. There are long, lyrical phrases.

220 Songs for Leontyne. Published in 1985 by Southern Music Publishing. 1. The Doe. Text by John Fandel. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There is much text painting in piano and voice. The voice has large leaps and sustained high pitches. The tempo is moderate and the song is tuneful. 2. Evening. Text by Wallace Stevens. Dedicated to Eva Pierrakos. Range: f1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has several motivic ideas that are repeated throughout; the hands change positions quickly. The voice has intricate rhythms that do not align with the piano. The voice has long, sustained phrases in the latter half of the song. 3. Autumn. Text by Rainer Maria Rilke. Dedicated to David Garvey. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano carries the rhythmic and harmonic motion throughout the song. The piano is harmonically supportive of the voice, but does not double its tuneful melody. The voice has long, descending phrases and much text. 4. Winter Song. Text by Wilfred Owen. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is moderate, and there are many meter changes. The piano has quick, complex rhythms that give the song much coloration and texture. The voice has steady rhythmic motion and a lyrical melody. The text is full of winter imagery. 5. In the Wand of the Wind. Text by John Fandel. Range: e-flat1 – g2. The

221 tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice has many descending intervals that are not doubled by the piano. The piano has fast, scalar patterns that harmonically support the voice. 6. The Serpent. Text by Theodore Roethke. Dedicated to Leontyne Price. Range: c1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is humorous and accessible; the story is of a snake that wants to sing. There is much text painting in the voice and piano. There are many shifts in meter and changing articulations in both piano and voice. The voice has wide leaps and portamenti within vocalises.

A Christmas Song. Text by Jacques Mitchell. Published in 1987 by Southern Music Press. Dedicated to Mimi Mitchell on her birthday. Range: c1 – a2. Tessitura moderately high, and builds throughout the song. Recommended for soprano voices. Vocal part is moderately difficult due to tessitura, sustained high phrases, and some rhythmic intricacies. The accompaniment is difficult, with many eighth-note figures, changes in dynamics and rhythmic groupings indicated by changing accents.

The River-Merchant’s Wife: A Letter. Text by Rihaku, translated by Ezra Pound. Published in 1987 by Southern Music Press. Range: d1 – a2. Tessitura shifts between moderate and high. Recommended for soprano voices. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The song is lengthy and tells the story of a young wife. Stamina is needed in the singer.

222 Four Dickinson Songs. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1988 by Southern Music Publishing. Composed for high voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. A Letter. Dedicated to Dalton Baldwin. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The melodic interest is solely in the vocal part. The vocal phrase lengths are irregular. The piano accompaniment is supportive of the voice, and the rhythmic motion in the piano provides momentum. 2. How the Waters Closed. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is an account of a drowning and requires an emotionally mature singer. The song is short, but is very intense. The song is tonal with unexpected dissonances. The chords in the piano are expansive. 3. Wild Nights. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is repetitive, vague, and full of desire. The piano accompaniment has scalar and arpeggiation motives that convey the wildness and swiftness of the text. The vocal part has very long, sustained high pitches within lyrical, sustained phrases. 4. There Came a Wind Like a Bugle. Dedicated to Shirley King. Range: e1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with dissonances. The vocal part has a combination of long, sustained high pitches and quickly moving rhythmic motives. The voice has a disjunct melody line, with difficult leaps to navigate. The piano has fast, scalar patterns with many accidentals. The melodic interest is in the voice and the

223 motion and spirit is in the accompaniment.

Goodby, Goodby World. Text by Thornton Wilder. Published in 1988 by Rock Valley Music. Range: b – g2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a nostalgic recollection of life’s little wonders. The vocal melody has short, irregular phrase lengths and wide intervals. The piano accompaniment harmonically supports, but does not double the voice. The song is brief and lyrical.

Lied der Liebe. Text by Friederich Hölderlin. Published in 1988 by Rock Valley Music. Dedicated to Ingo Hofmann. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about brotherly love and is entirely in German. The meter shifts often. The tempo is moderate with a jaunty feel. The vocal melody has long, lyrical lines with lush harmonies in the piano. The piano accompaniment has much rhythmic motion and chromaticism.

Sonnett. 116. Text by William Shakespeare. Published in 1988 by Rock Valley Music. Dedicated to the wedding of Marie Michuda. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium or high voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There is much chromaticism in the voice and piano. The vocal melody is independent of the piano accompaniment.

224 Why Don’t You? Text by Robert Beers. Published in 1988 by Rock Valley Music. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. This entertaining and humorous song is a list of absurd instructions. The song is rhythmically challenging. It is tonal with much dissonance. The song is very entertaining.

Always it’s Spring. Text by e.e. cummings. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Berry Throne-Holst. Range: d-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano has ascending and descending scalar motion throughout that supports the voice in texture, motion and harmony. The vocal phrases are of regular length with sustained high pitches. The text is about love in spring. Diction may pose a problem due to the large amount of words in combination with the high tessitura.

An Immorality. Text by Ezra Pound. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Range: d1 – fsharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The meter shifts regularly. The piano part has steady eighth notes through most of the song. The voice has regular phrase lengths with a lyrical melody. The text is on love.

Christmas 1951. Text by John Fandel. Published in 1990 by Rock Valley Music. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano

225 accompaniment is sparse so as to highlight the vocal melody. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases with many sustained high pitches. The text is religious.

Daphne. Text by Harry Duncan. Published in 1990 by Rock Valley Music. Dedicated to Liza Tenenbaum. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is rhythmically complex in the voice and piano. The texture is dense, and there is much chromaticism throughout.

Jabberwocky. Text by Lewis Carroll. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Paul C. Echols. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The poetry is set well. There is text painting in piano and voice throughout. Excellent acting skills are required. The song is lengthy and technically and dramatically intense for piano and voice.

Jean qui rit. Text by Tennessee Williams. Published in 1990 by Rock Valley Music. Range: c1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is spoken as an adult to a little boy; there is a combination of French and English phrases. The vocal melody is angular. There are long vocal phrases with syncopated rhythmic motion.

226 Lady of the Harbor. Text by Emma Lazarus. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Range: csharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with some dissonances. The piano and voice have syncopations throughout. The vocal phrases are short and illuminate the text well.

Love Love Today. Text by Charlotte Mew. Published in 1990 by Rock Valley Music. Range: c1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is short. The text is on living life in the moment. The piano accompaniment has the rhythmic interest in the song. The song is tuneful and memorable.

O Star. Text by John Fandel. Published in 1990 by Rock Valley Music. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal melody is exposed, as the piano accompaniment has many rolled, sustained block chords.

Pas dans mon Coeur. Text by Marcia Nardi. Published in 1990 by Rock Valley Music. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about unfulfilled love, and there is a mixture of French and English phrases. There is text painting in the piano accompaniment. The vocal melody is harmonically supported by the piano accompaniment, but is not doubled in pitch or rhythm.

227 Chromaticism builds throughout the song.

She Tells her Love. Text by Robert Graves. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Range: c1 – d2. The tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano has steady eighth note motion and a counter melody that rhythmically supports the vocal melody. The voice has long, sweeping phrases without wide leaps. The text is on an intimate love.

Summer Song. Text by John Fandel. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Range: e1 –g2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with some dissonances. The vocal melody is repetitive. The voice has short phrases. The piano has quick rhythmic figures throughout.

The Dust of Snow. Text by Robert Frost. Published in 1990 by Rock Valley Music. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is very brief. The vocal melody has sustained arching phrase contours. The piano accompaniment is rhythmically angular. The text is about one’s mood being lifted by nature.

The Lamb. Text by William Blake. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Tom Fay. Range: b – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The

228 vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with unexpected modulations. The tempo is slow and the rhythms in voice and piano are steady. The piano doubles the voice in much of the song. The text is religious.

The Message. Text by John Donne. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Leotyne Price. Range: d-flat1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Many shifting meters, tempi, dynamics and articulations occur. The voice has wide leaps and many sustained high pitches.

The Shepherd. Text by William Blake. Published by G. Schirmer in 1990. Dedicated to Olive Endres. Range: f1 – g2. Tessitura is in the middle part of most singers’ ranges. Appropriate for middle to high male and female voices. The vocal line is easy. The accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal phrases are short and regular with arching melodic lines. The accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the voice and has syncopated, repetitive rhythmic motives.

To an Isle in the Water. Text by William Butler Yeats. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Lorenzo Malfatti. Range: B-flat – f1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano part has consistent sixteenth note motion throughout. The voice has lyrical phrases that are harmonically supported by the piano. The phrases are classical in structure and the harmonies are diatonic. A melodious song about love.

229

Twenty-eight Young Men. Text by Walt Whitman. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Range: e-flat1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on coming of age. The voice has many wide leaps and sustained high pitches. Diction may pose a problem. The piano part supports the voice harmonically, but does not double the vocal line.

What If… Text by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Judith and John Saly. Range: b-sharp – f2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal phrases are long with sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment has a dense texture with much movement in rhythmic figures.

Where the Music Comes From. Text by Hoiby. Published by G Schirmer in 1990. Dedicated to the Guide. Range: f1 – a-flat2. Tessitura gradually rises throughout and remains in a middle register. Appropriate for middle to high female or male voices. The vocal line is moderate in difficulty, and the piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The voice and piano are repetitious. Careful considerations must be made to word stress, with many words having unstressed syllables on higher pitches than the stressed syllables.

Bermudas. Text by Andrew Marvell. Published in 1993 by Schirmer. Commissioned by Robert V. Barritt for Joy Blackett. Composed for medium voice. Originally composed

230 for solo voice and piano; a duet version and piano quartet version were arranged. The duration of the piece is approximately eight minutes. Range: b – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with dissonances. There is text painting in the piano and voice. The piano accompaniment has many fast scalar passages. The vocal line is lyrical and matches the text inflection well. The text is on the beauty of the island of Bermuda.

Investiture at Cecconi’s. Text by James Merrill; Aids Quilt Songbook, Boosey & Hawkes, 1993. For Will Parker, in memory of Richard Bijon. Range B – b1. Appropriate for baritone voice. The voice and piano parts are highly difficult. There are many shifting meters, complex rhythms with syncopations, and a variety of phrases types, including long, lyrical and short, disjunct. There are several portamenti in the voice. There are specific articulations and dynamics throughout the score.

I Was There. Texts by Walt Whitman. Published in 1993 by Schirmer. Composed for baritone. The songs should be sung as a cycle. 1. Beginning My Studies. Dedicated to Hans Leder. Range: B-flat – f1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano has repetitive motion that is supportive of the vocal line. The voice has sweeping lyrical phrases. The song is tonal with unexpected harmonies. The voice has sustained high pitches. The text is on learning. 2. I Was There. Dedicated to Eric Karpeles. Range: B – e1. The tessitura is high.

231 The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano has a repetitious descending scalar pattern. The voice has many sustained and accented high pitches. The text is on war and requires an emotionally mature singer. 3. A Clear Midnight. Dedicated to Michael Carson. Range: B – c-flat1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The tempo is very slow. The vocal part is sustained, and the phrases are separated by many rests. Continuing the thought process through the entire song may pose a challenge. A tuneful, touching song. 4. O Captain! My Captain! Range: B –f1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano has thick texture for most of the song. The voice has quick rhythms with much text. Diction may pose a problem. The song is tonal with many dissonances and colorful harmonies. The song is long and requires stamina. 5. Joy, Shipmate, Joy! Dedicated to Michael Sell. Range: d – f1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano has very rapid scalar patterns and chordal figures with syncopations. The vocal line is sustained. The text is exuberant.

Bon Appetit! Text by Julia Child; adapted by Mark Shulgasser. Published in 1994 by G Schirmer. Dedicated to Jean Stpleton. Range: b-flat – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Originally composed for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble (flute, oboe, clarinet in b-flat, bassoon, horn in f, harp, piano, two violins, viola and cello); the piano reduction is

232 commonly performed. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The composer describes this piece as a musical monologue. The piece is of substantial length, and requires great stamina in the vocal and piano parts. This piece would make an excellent addition to a recital. The music is ever-changing in the voice and piano. The text is a recipe for a chocolate soufflé. The song is tonal with many dissonances and chromatic passages. The vocal melody has short, fragmented phrases with musical inflections that fit the text inflections well. The piano accompaniment comments on the vocal melody, and it harmonically supports the voice well. It is a challenging piece for the performers and entertaining for the audience.

Three Ages of Woman. Texts by Elizabeth Bishop. Published in 1994 by Southern Music Publishing. Dedicated to Lynn Elfert. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Manners. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is moderate and the meter is in 5/4. The vocal part is disjunct with short phrases and some difficult leaps. The piano accompaniment has much scalar motion passed between hands. The text is a first-person story of a little girl learning manners. 2. Filling Station. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice has quick motion with unusual intervals and much diction. The piano accompaniment harmonically supports the voice and has dense, quickly moving rhythms throughout. The voice has several portamenti.

233 3. Insomnia. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The style is that of a slow blues. The vocal part has inflections of the blues scale. The voice has several portamenti and many syncopated rhythms. The piano accompaniment has alternating sections of steady block chords and quick scalar motion. The text is about love and has imagery of the night and water.

Night Songs. Texts by Adelaide Crapsey. Published in 1996 by Classical Vocal Reprints. Composed for high voice. 1. Night. Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano has a repeated rhythmic unit that provides momentum and a sense of unrest. The vocal melody is lyrical and sustained. The song is in a minor tonality. 2. Pierrot. Range: c-sharp1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal phrases are short with simple rhythms. Many of the vocal phrases begin on the highest note of the phrase. The piano has ornamentation in a sparse accompaniment that provides atmosphere and attitude. The text is on the death of Pierrot. 3. Angelique. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is in a minor tonality with many dissonances and unexpected harmonic progressions. The meter shifts regularly. The piano has a wide range; the extremes of the range help create an eerie mood to match the text.

234 4. The Shroud. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal line is sustained with moderate phrase lengths. The voice is not doubled by the piano. The piano has an intricate repetitious melodic and rhythmic unit throughout most of the song, which provides momentum and a nebulous sense of harmonic rhythm.

O Florida. Texts by Wallace Stevens. Published in 1996 by Classical Vocal Reprints. Composed for medium voice. The songs should be sung as a cycle. 1. Floral Decorations for Bananas. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The piano part is pointalistic and does not support the vocal line harmonically. The vocal line is declamatory and has irregular phrases shapes and lengths determined by the text. The text is on bananas with metaphors beneath the surface. Suggestions of a tango style are present in the voice and piano. 2. Gubbinal. Range: c1 –f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The piano has repetitious rhythmic units. The piano does not double the vocal line. The voice is marked marcato and is vertically oriented with many large leaps. The text is on the sadness of humanity. 3. Continual Conversation with a Silent Man. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal line is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is

235 moderately difficult. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The texture is sparse and secco. The piano and voice act independently of one another. 4. Before My Door. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The text is on war and requires an emotionally mature singer. The song is tonal with many dissonances and no strong sense of harmonic progression. The voice has many wide leaps, and is not doubled in the piano. 5. O Florida, Venereal Soil. Range: a – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is long and requires stamina. There are syncopations in the voice and piano. The piano does not double the vocal part. There are many shifts in meter. The text is a series of images from Florida.

I Have a Dream. Text by Martin Luther King, Jr. Published in 1998 by Classical Vocal Reprints. Dedicated to Ben Holt. Composed for medium voice. Orchestration available. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piece is long, lasting approximately ten minutes, and requires stamina. The music is lyrical without a memorable melody. The piano part grows in rhythmic intensity throughout the piece. The text is set well, and the piece is emotionally moving. The text requires an emotionally mature singer.

Nero and Sporus. Text by Aldous Huxley. Published in 1998 by Rock Valley Music. Dedicated to John Moriarty. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high.

236 Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is slow and there are many accidentals throughout. The vocal melody is sustained, and the harmonic rhythm is created in the piano part. Because of the rhythmic motion, the harmonic rhythm, and the text, the song sounds neo-romantic.

Three French Songs. Texts by Arthur Rimbaud. Published in 2000 by Rock Valley Music Company. Dedicated to Will Parker. Composed for medium voice. The texts are in French. 1. Le Coeur volé. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song has complex rhythmic units in voice and piano. The piano doubles the voice at times, but not consistently. The voice has large intervals to sing within phrases. The vocal melody is angular in contour. 2. L’Eternité. Range: b – b1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The tempo is slow and the song is very brief. The piano has a repetitious melodic unit that is used as a sequential figure throughout the song. The voice moves more quickly than the piano and is not doubled by the piano. 3. Rêvé pour l’hiver. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Both piano and voice have complex rhythms. The voice has large intervals to leap and lengthy phrases. The song is tonal with a lyrical melody in the voice.

237 The Shining Place. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 2002 by Peer Music. Composed for high voice. 1. The Shining Place. Dedicated to Cynthia Miller. Range: e1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The meter shifts very frequently. The piano accompaniment has continuously moving eighth note figures. The voice has a long, sustained melody. The voice is not doubled by the piano accompaniment. The song is tonal with much dissonance. 2. A Letter. Dedicated to Dalton Baldwin. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The rhythmic complexity increases throughout the song in the vocal and piano parts. The vocal melody has short, fragmented phrases with a disjunct melody. The melody matches the text inflection well. 3. How the Waters Closed. Range: d1- g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has many expansive chords, and it doubles the vocal part at times. The vocal melody has short, irregular phrase lengths and shapes. Both piano and voice have syncopation throughout the short song. 4. Wild Nights. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody has sustained pitches over very quickly moving arpeggiations in the piano accompaniment. The voice has much chromaticism. 5. There Came a Wind Like a Bugle. Dedicated to Shirley King. Range: e1 – a2.

238 The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There is text painting in the vocal part. The piano accompaniment depicts the general mood of the text through incessantly moving rhythmic figures and varying articulations. The piano and voice act independently of each other.

Cut Grass. Text by Philip Larkin. Published in 2003 by Rock Valley Music. Dedicated to Roger Nieremberg. Range: c-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text illustrates the foliage of summer. The vocal melody has long, sustained phrases. The piano accompaniment has much fluid motion. The song is brief. There is chromaticism and dissonance throughout. The tempo is marked lento.

Sonnets and Soliloquies. Texts by William Shakespeare. Published in 2003 by Rock Valley Music. Originally for soprano and string quartet. 1. If Music Be the Food of Love. Dedicated to Norman Ryan. Range: c-sharp1 – bflat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment has much 3-part counterpoint. The vocal melody has quick rhythms, many accidentals, and syncopated rhythms. There are many meter, tempo and dynamic shifts throughout. 2. Sonnet 116. Dedicated to Charles Jarden. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is marked andante. There is much rhythmic motion in the accompaniment and vocal melody. The text is intricate and requires particularly

239 clear diction skills. 3. Sonnet 128. Dedicated to Bill Lewis. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano and voice have much chromaticism. The piano accompaniment does not double the vocal melody, but supports it well harmonically and rhythmically. 4. Portia’s Plea. Dedicated to Jennifer Foster. Range: c-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There is much rhythmic and harmonic movement in both the piano and voice. The piano does not double the voice, but provides harmonic stability for the melody. There is much dissonance, but the song is tonal.

Southern Voices. Published in 2003 by Rock Valley Music. Composed for medium voice; recommended for mezzo-soprano. 1. Butterflies. Text by A. R. Ammons. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has quickly moving scalar passages throughout. The voice has many melismas and is more lyrical than the piano. There is much text painting. 2. Lullaby. Text by Robert Penn Warren. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is a gentle lullaby for a boy. The meter shifts between duple and triple. The voice has a sustained, lyrical melody. The piano accompaniment has an undulating repetitive rhythmic motive.

240 3. Bells for John Whiteside’s Daughter. Text by John Crowe Ransom. Range: bsharp – f2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with much chromaticism. The text depicts the mischievousness of a little girl. 4. Berenice Sadie Brown. Text by Carson McCullers. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song grows in intensity via increased tempo, quickening rhythmic motives, increased dynamics, heavier articulations, and increased pitch in the voice and piano. The text is a dramatic, first-person account of the death of a lover.

Winter and Summer. Texts by Ricardo Castro. Published in 2005 by Rock Valley Music. Dedicated to Jay Nordlinger. Recommended for medium voices. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Winter Hubris. Range: b – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about winter being the best season, and it is spoken from the perspective of winter. The piano accompaniment has flowing rhythmic motion under a more sustained vocal melody. There is some text painting. 2. Summer’s Retort. Range: d-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a response to the previous song from the perspective of the summer. There are quick rhythmic units in the voice and piano. The texture in

241 the middle of the song is dense.

A Pocket of Time. Text by Elizabeth Bishop. Published in 2006 by Rock Valley Music. Dedicated to Julia Faulkner. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium or high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about a couple living happily for a brief period of time before the happiness ended. The piano accompaniment has a repeated rhythmic motive throughout the first two-thirds of the song. The vocal melody is lyrical with arching phrase contours.

Private First Class Jesse Givens. Text by Jesse Givens. Published in 2006 by Rock Valley Music Company. Dedicated to the fallen in Iraq. Range: G – g1. The tessitura is high. Composed for baritone. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with dissonances. The voice and piano have complex rhythmic units. The text is that of a letter written by a soldier to be opened by his wife upon his death. The text requires an emotionally mature singer.

242 CHAPTER XVIII RICHARD HUNDLEY

Biography and Style Richard Hundley was born in 1931 in Ohio. After his parents divorced when he was very young, and because of the contentious custody battle between the two, he went to live with his paternal grandmother. She enrolled him in piano lessons at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Illona Voorm in 1939, a former assistant to Bela Bartok. At age fourteen, Hundley performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor with the Northern Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, and at sixteen he performed Mozart’s Piano Concerto in A major with Cincinnati Symphony. Hundley attended Manhattan School of Music in 1950 where he studied composition with Israel Citkowitz, a student of Boulanger, but was unable to stay for more than a year due to financial difficulties. Hundley remained in New York working days, while remaining active in the music scene in the evenings. Hundley sang with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus as a tenor from 1960-4, where he introduced his songs to singers that performed there. His songs were well-liked by these singers, and several performed them throughout the United States and Europe, including Annalese Rothenberger, Rosalind Elias, and Anna Moffo. Hundley was introduced to Virgil Thomson in the 1960s. Although he was not formally a student of Virgil Thomson, the two became friends, and Thomson proved to be very influential to Hundley and his compositions. Hundley began working as the studio pianist for Verdian Zinka Milanov in the late 1960s, where he played for

243 accomplished singers such as Regine Crespin, Grace Bumbry, and Christa Ludwig. Relatively few of Hundley’s songs are published, but all are available directly from Hundley. In 1982 his songs were added to the repertory list for Carnegie Hall competitions. Hundley has a distinct neo-Classical compositional style. The harmonies are primarily tonal. He uses legato phrases that are symmetrical with antecedent and consequent counterparts. The melodic shape, rhythm, and accompaniment create a simple, well-defined structure. Most of the poetry is from the works of James Purdy, a close friend of the composer. Hundley’s accompaniments are harmonically supportive of the vocal line. He does explore some jazz idioms in his use of altered chords and widespread use of metrical shifts.

Song Annotations Epitaph on a Wife. Text is anonymous. Published in 1961 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Leslie Meadows. Range: C – e-flat1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is from the inscription on a gravestone. The text is humorous. The voice has steady quarter note motion with conjunct melodic motion. The piano has rhythmic interest.

Spring. Text by Shakespeare. Published in 1963 by General Music. Dedicated to Virgil. Range: f1 – a2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for tenor voices. Vocal part is easy. Accompaniment is moderate. Text is about anxiety from marriage. There is a quick

244 tempo with transparent texture throughout. Predictable harmonic progressions and lyrical phrases.

Bartholomew Green. Text by James Purdy. Published in 1981 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to James Purdy. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The tempo is fast and the score is marked as lively and spirited. The voice has irregular phrase lengths and shapes. The piano does not double the vocal melody. The text is a vague account of several people’s comings and goings. Excellent acting skills required of the singer.

Birds, U.S.A. Text by James Purdy. Published in 1981 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Billie Lynn Daniel. Range: f1 – f2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is short, and the text is about typical birds found in the United States. The rhythm is complex in the piano and voice. There is much syncopation and varying articulation marks.

Come Ready and See Me. Text by James Purdy. Published in 1981 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Jeffrey L. Cerza. Range: b-flat – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is tonal with a memorable, lyrical vocal melody. The piano accompaniment is repetitious and supportive of the voice. The vocal melody has regular phrases and arching lines. The text is on yearning for a lover.

245 I Do. Text by James Purdy. Published in 1981 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Range: g – a-flat1. The tessitura is high. Recommended for tenor. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a proposal. The vocal melody contains long phrases, sustained high pitches, and many articulation markings. The meter shifts regularly, and there is syncopation in the voice and piano.

Isaac Greentree. Text is an epitaph. Published in 1981 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Range: c1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment is sparse and does not double the vocal melody. The voice has long, lyrical phrases. The song is short and melodious.

My Master Hath a Garden. Text is anonymous Elizabethan verses. Published in 1981 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Marjorie Hayward Madey. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is religious, with references to a garden and instrumental music. The song is tonal. The piano accompaniment doubles the vocal melody for much of the song.

Sweet Suffolk Owl. Text is comprised of anonymous verses from 1619. Published in 1981 by Boosey and Hawekes. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Range: e1 – f2. Appropriate for middle to high voices. Vocal line is easy, and the accompaniment is moderately

246 difficult. The song is repetitious in voice and piano, and it is short. The accompaniment supports the voice harmonically, but does not double the line. Syllabically set text about a hunting owl.

The Astronomers (An Epitaph). Text is anonymous,. Published by Boosey & Hawkes, in 1981. Dedicated to the memory of Hundley’s Grandmother. Range c1 – f2. Appropriate for all voice types, male and female. Vocal part is moderate. Piano part is moderately difficult. This is a recitative and aria form with an evocative text and long, lyrical lines. It has an expansive, beautiful piano postlude.

Evening Hours. Text by James Purdy. Published in 1985 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Kenneth Riegel. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with a lyrical, memorable melody. The voice has extended, arching phrases and the piano is harmonically supportive of the voice, but does not double it. The text is on longing for a loved one’s return.

When Orpheus Played. Text by William Shakespeare. Published in 1985 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Range: c-sharp1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The texture of the song is transparent. The text is on Orpheus playing his lute to attain power through his music. The melody is lyrical and tonal. The meter is primarily triple and there is much motion throughout the song.

247 A Package of Cookies. Text by Virgil Thomson. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: e1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a thank you note from Thomson to Hundley. The meter shifts according to the text inflection, and the vocal melody is angular. The piano accompaniment harmonically supports the vocal part well, and there is much rhythmic motion in the piano part.

Epitaph of a Young Girl. Text is based on an inscription on a tombstone in Boston Common. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal phrases vary in length, according to the text. The piano part has a lengthy interlude. The voice and piano are marked cantabile, and there is text painting.

Lions. Text by James Purdy. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Lamar Alford. Range: e1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The obscure text is about lions. The tempo is fast, and there are heavy accents throughout in the piano and vocal parts. There are many sustained high pitches in the voice. A very dramatic song.

O My Darling Troubles Heaven with her Loveliness. Text by Kenneth Patchen. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Range: d-sharp1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano

248 accompaniment is difficult. The piano and voice are lyrical. The texture is dense, and there is much rhythmic motion in the piano and vocal parts. The piano doubles the vocal melody in places. The piano is equal in importance to the vocal melody.

Screw Spring. Text by William M. Hoffman. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Kate Hurney and Iris Hiskey. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The score is marked as lively and rhythmic. The meter shifts occasionally. There is much syncopation in the voice and piano. The piano part does not double the vocal melody. The song is tonal with dissonances. The text requires a mature singer; it is about romantic frustration.

Sweet River. Text by John Fletcher. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Jeanette Scovotti. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is brief and has a fast tempo. The piano accompaniment is marked as leggiero. The text is a playful declaration of devotion.

Waterbird. Text by James Purdy. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Paul Sperry. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. Tessitura is high. Recommended for high voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The accompaniment is difficult. The text is about a waterbird and the singer’s dreams. The text is repetitive. The repetitions are set apart by variations of tempi and accompanimental figures. The vocal line is lyrical

249 and very sustained.

When Children Are Playing Alone on the Green. Text by Robert Louis Stevenson. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Beverly Hoch. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The meter is in three. The tempo is andante. The melodic motion of the vocal part is somewhat static. The piano accompaniment supports the vocal line harmonically.

Will There Really Be a Morning? Text by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1988 by Boosey and Hawkes. Dedicated to Robert Wharton. Range: f1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There are several octave leaps at the beginnings of the vocal phrases. Triple meter occurs throughout the song. The voice and piano are marked cantabile in the score. The voice has a significant melismatic passage.

Octaves and Sweet Sounds. Published in 1993 by Boosey and Hawkes. Composed for medium voice; high version also available. 1. Strings in the Earth and Air. Text by James Joyce. Range: c1 – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with a lyrical vocal melody. The vocal phrases are short and regular. The melody is at times doubled in the piano. The text is about love and music.

250 2. Seashore Girls. Text by e. e. cummings. Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. Many shifts in meter and tempo occur throughout the song. The textual inflection matches the musical stress. The piano plays an important role in the storytelling of the song. The piano has several interludes and a postlude. 3. Moonlight’s Watermelon. Text by Jose Garcia Villa. Range: c1 – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with a moderate tempo in a triple meter. The vocal melody is doubled in the piano at times. The voice alternates between lyrical phrases of regular length and short, clipped fragments to match the humorous, abstract text. 4. Straightway Beauty on Me Waits. Text by James Purdy. Range: d-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There is text painting throughout the song. The melody is lyrical and illuminates the images of the text. The voice has several melismas with large leaps. The song is tonal with some extended harmonies. 5. Well Welcome. Text by Gertrude Stein. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Many shifts in meter, tempo, dynamics, articulation occur throughout the song. The voice has unaccompanied sections. The piano has many widely spaced chords described in the score as a fanfare. The text is abstract.

251 CHAPTER XIV ANNE KILSTOFTE

Biography and Style Anne Kilstofte holds a bachelor’s degree in Music and Media in Sound Technology and a master’s degree in Composition both from the University of Colorado. Anne Kilstofte earned a Ph.D. in Music Theory and Composition from the University of Minnesota, where she studied with Dominick Argento and Judith Zaimont. Kilstofte also studied with Libby Larsen. Kilstofte was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, enabling her to live and study for a year in Estonia. There she taught composition and researched the music of communist and post-communist Estonia. Kilstofte composed several pieces while in Estonia, and her trip culminated in a concert and recording of those works. While in Europe, she lectured at Oldenburg University in Germany, and had several pieces performed in Europe during that time. Kilstofte has earned many honors for her work. She received awards from the American Composers Forum, the Jerome Foundation, the McKnight Foundation and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Kilstofte was the composer in residence and assistant professor at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota for 12 years. She recently completed her second Faith Partners Composer Residency in Minnesota. Kilstofte’s works have been performed internationally, and she has received commissions from elite ensembles with international reputations. She has had works

252 presented at the Music Educators’ National Association and the American Choral Directors’ Association national and regional conferences since 1992. Several recordings of her works have been produced. Kilstofte is an advocate of new music and women musicians. She has worked intensely with the International Alliance for Women in Music, serving as a president for two years and the board of directors for seven years. She has also volunteered with the American Composers Forum and the Society of Composers, Incorporated. Although she composes in many genres, Kilstofte has become a noted composer of sacred music. Currently, Kilstofte resides in Arizona. The neo-Classical style of Kilstofte’s songs is reflected in symmetrical forms, with phrases that are generally antecedent and consequent structures. Most of the songs are set to the poetry of Eugene Field. Field’s poetry contains simple descriptions of nature set in iambic pentameter. The text setting is generally syllabic and is rhythmically aligned with the natural lilt of the poetry. For this reason, the piano accompaniments are secondary in importance to the vocal melodies, although Kilstofte often includes short piano interludes. The accompaniments are built on repeated motives that create atmosphere, which is also established through tone color and modality. The vocal melodies are arching, and usually cover a limited range.

Song Annotations Sicilian Lullaby. Text by Eugene Field. Published in 2001 by Kaska Publishing. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for soprano voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The meter

253 shifts frequently. The piano accompaniment moves steadily in triadic motion. The vocal melody is repetitive and contains many ascending octave leaps. The song is in the key of C minor. The vocal melody and piano accompaniment are highly repetitive.

Japanese Lullaby. Text by Eugene Field. Published in 2004 by Kaska Publishing. Range: f1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for soprano voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with much chromaticsm and dissonance, particularly through the middle of the song. The voice has large ascending leaps. The piano and voice are independent of each other. The text is a soothing lullaby. The vocal melody has a memorable, tuneful recurring motive.

Nightfall in Dordrecht. Text by Eugene Field. Published in 2004 by Kaska Publishing. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium high voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is easy. The song is in the key of A minor, with very little dissonance. The text is that of a traditional lullaby. The vocal melody has arching phrase contours. The piano accompaniment has a sparse texture. This would be an appropriate song for a young singer.

Orkney Lullaby. Text by Eugene Field. Published in 2004 by Kaska Publishing. Range: g-sharp1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for soprano voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The tempo is quick, and the meter is simple, compound time. The vocal melody is lilting and repetitive, and the text is set syllabically. The piano has short interludes between the three verses. This

254 song is appropriate for young or inexperienced voices.

255 CHAPTER XX LORI LAITMAN

Biography and Style Lori Laitman was born in 1955 in New York. She began piano lessons at age 5, and she began flute lessons at age 7. Laitman earned her bachelor’s and master’s degree in flute performance from Yale. While at Yale, she studied composition with Jonathan Kramer and Frank Lewin. Laitman’s main interest in composition was in the field of film and theater. She composed several scores for live theater and films before shifting her focus to vocal compositions. Since 1991, she has composed exclusively for singers. She has composed over 200 art songs, a one-act opera, a full-length opera and an oratorio, among other works for various ensembles. Laitman is considered one of the most prolific and performed composers of American vocal literature today. Included among her many commissions is her most recent one from the Sorel Organization, for which the piece, “The Act,” was premiered in June 2010. She has been recorded on Albany Records and Naxos. Laitman regularly gives master classes at universities and music festivals across the United States. She lives with her husband and three children in upstate New York. Laitman’s style is distinctive in its clear textures and timbres. The works are widely varied because of her sensitivity to the poetry. The vocal melody of each song enlightens the text inflection of the poetry, and a wide variety of timbres are used to illustrate the text.

256 Laitman’s vocal melodies have large, sweeping phrases with arching shapes that highlight the voice. She unifies her song cycles with recurring motives and rhythmic gestures. She often uses sparse textures in her accompaniments, helping to highlight the vocal melodies. Laitman’s pieces are a combination of neo-Romantic and post-Modernistic writing. Her songs are lyrical, with expressive melodic patterns, and her compositions can be technically challenging for the performers.

Song Annotations Dreaming. Text by Lori Laitman. Published in 1991 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Lauren Wagner and Frederick Weldy. Range: d1 – c3. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for soprano or mezzo-soprano. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is very funny, and it is about a singer wanting a great performance review. This song would serve well as an encore piece. The style is much like musical theater or cabaret.

Metropolitan Tower. Texts by Sara Teasdale. Published in 1992 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Lauren Wagner. Composed for soprano. 1. The Metropolitan Tower. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal, with long, lyrical phrases in the piano and voice. The piano doubles the vocal line. The tempo is moderately fast. There are several key changes throughout the development of the song.

257 2. A Winter Night. Range: d-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment has a sparse texture, with flurries of motion. The meter shifts regularly to fit the text inflection. The vocal line has short, fragmented phrases. 3. Old Tunes. Range: e-flat1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The sense of nostalgia that is in the poem is created in the music through the designated use of pedal, tempo shifts, dynamic fluctuations, and articulations. There are wide leaps in the voice. 4. The Strong House. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is marked as flexible throughout. The harmonies are unexpected and create a sense of instability. The accompaniment harmonically supports, but does not double, the voice. 5. The Hour. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about a woman’s first realization of love. The harmonies are rich and romantic. The vocal phrases are long and have arching contours. 6. To a Loose Woman. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There is much chromaticism throughout the song in the voice and piano, and there is much syncopation. The voice has several notated glissandi.

Echo. Text by Christina Rossetti. Published in 1995 by Enchanted Knickers Music.

258 Dedicated to Robert Kennedy. Range: G – e1. The tessitura is wide. Composed for baritone. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about a dream of a past lover. There is much rhythmic motion in the piano accompaniment. The voice has syncopations and irregular phrases lengths that match the text. The song is moderate in length.

The Ballad Singer. Text by Thomas Hardy. Published in 1995 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Robert Kennedy. Range: F – f1. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for baritone. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The meter shifts periodically and there is syncopation in the piano and voice. The tempo is quick. The vocal melodic and rhythmic ideas are driven by the text.

Four Dickinson Songs. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1996 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Composed for soprano. 1. Will There Really Be a Morning? Dedicated to Karen Bogan. Range: c-sharp1g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal line has expansive phrases with wide intervals, particularly ascending leaps. The vocal melody is exposed, as the piano accompaniment has a thin texture. 2.

I’m Nobody. Dedicated to Karen Bogan. Range: b-flat – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal line has wide leaps, sustained high pitches, and a significant

259 amount of coloratura passages. 3.

She Died. Dedicated to Karen Bogan. Range: b-flat – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The expansive nature of the text is realized in the wide, vertical chords in the piano accompaniment. It is ethereal in sound.

4. If I… Dedicated to Karen Bogan and Milton Laitman’s 80th birthday. Range: c1a-flat2. The tessitura shifts throughout the range. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal line and accompaniment are lyrical. The phrases are irregular, but match the textual inflection. There is an 8-measure piano interlude before the repetition of text.

Plums. Texts by William Carlos Williams. Published in 1996 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Rosa Lamoreaux. Composed for soprano. 1. To a Poor Old Woman. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is short and is about an old woman eating a plum on the street. Several lines of the poem are repeated. The vocal melody is lyrical and has arpeggiations. 2. This is Just to Say. Range: d1 – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is also on eating plums. The meter shifts frequently in this very short song.

Between the Bliss and Me. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1997 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Adelaide Whitaker. Composed for soprano.

260 1. I gained it so. Range: d-flat1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal line is highly disjunct, which serves as a means of text painting. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice for much of the song. 2. A Book. Range: b – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases. There are melismatic vocal passages and wide leaps in the voice. 3. I could not prove. Range: d1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has a dense texture that is full of rhythmic motion. The voice is supported harmonically by the piano, but is not doubled. The vocal phrases are angular and full of difficult intervals to sing.

Days and Nights. Published in 1997 by Merion Music. Composed for soprano. 1. Along with Me. Text by Robert Browning. Dedicated to Melissa Coombs. Range: d1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a declaration of love and an invitation to spend lives together. The vocal melody is lyrical and has very long phrases with sustained high pitches. 2. They Might Not Need Me. Text by Emily Dickinson. Dedicated to Melissa Coombs, Lauren Wagner and Frederick Weldy. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast and there are intricate rhythmic

261 units in the piano accompaniment. The vocal melody is independent of the accompaniment. 3. The Night Has a Thousand Eyes. Text by Francis W. Bourdillon. Dedicated to Melissa Coombs. Range: f1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text has many repeated lines and is on an ended love. There are many large leaps in the vocal melody, and the vocal phrases are lengthy with sustained high pitches. 4. Over the Fence. Text by Emily Dickinson. Dedicated to Melissa Coombs. Range: f – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast. The piano part has many triplet eighth note figures and has several lengthy interludes. The voice has several melismatic passages. 5. Song. Text by Christina Rossetti. Dedicated to Melissa Coombs. Range: d1 – aflat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano part has much rhythmic motion and the texture is thin. The vocal phrases are lengthy with sustained high pitches. The text is a wife giving instructions to a husband to remember the good times they had once she is dead. The song is lyrical with a flowing tempo. 6. Wild Nights. Text by Emily Dickinson. Dedicated to Melissa Coombs. Range: d1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on passion between lovers. Many of the vocal phrases begin on a very high, sustained pitches with a glissando down an octave or greater.

262 Homeless. Text by Michael Flack. Published in 1998 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Patricia Green. Range: b-flat – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for mezzo-soprano. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on an elderly man who is needy, but had a great adventure earlier in life that led to his demise. The meter shifts often. The piano accompaniment has repeated motives throughout that are built upon. The vocal melody has difficult intervals and syncopations.

Mystery. Texts by Sara Teasdale. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 1998. Composed for mezzo-soprano or baritone. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Nightfall. Dedicated to Kurt Ollmann and Frederick Weldy. Range: b – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody is lyrical and creates close dissonances with the piano accompaniment in order to convey the past happiness of two lovers and the present unhappiness of the couple. The accompaniment has much fluid motion 2. Spray. Dedicated to Kurt Ollmann and Frederick Weldy. Range: b – e-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. A woman likens her love affair to the constancy and violence of ocean waves crashing against the shore. There is text painting in the piano accompaniment and vocal melody to portray individual images, as well as the general imagery of the ocean waves, as noted at the beginning of the song in the accompaniment with blocked chords. 3. The Kiss. Dedicated to Kurt Ollmann and Frederick Weldy. Range: b – f-sharp2.

263 The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The score is marked, “with humor and a somewhat flexible tempo.” The vocal melody is a traditional form, melody, and harmonic and rhythmic structure of a standard song of early in the century. The piano accompaniment is in an entirely different style, with much more dissonance and chromaticsm in the harmonies. 4. The Mystery. Dedicated to Kurt Ollmann and Frederick Weldy. Range: c-sharp1 – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text, on the yearning of two lovers for each other, is conveyed through the long, lyrical phrases of the voice that create tension with the more simple, chordal character of the accompaniment. 5. The Rose. Dedicated to Kurt Ollmann, Frederick Weldy and Patricia Green. Range: d-sharp1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The fast tempo and complex textures of the accompaniment and voice create the mood of reminiscence and regret that are conveyed in the poem. The voice has some melismatic passages. The piano accompaniment is highly chromatic.

Armgart. Text by George Eliot. Published in 2000 by Enchanted Knickers Music. This song won the Boston Art Song Competition in 2000. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about singing. There is much text painting. The song is tonal with much chromaticism. The piano accompaniment does

264 not double or support the vocal melody. The vocal melody is very lyrical with long, arching phrase contours.

Men With Small Heads. Texts by Thomas Lux. Published in 2000 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to David Daniels and Stephen Salters. Composed for Countertenor. 1. Men With Small Heads. Range: c1- g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a humorous narrative about a child’s experience with perception. The tempi and articulations change according to the plot. The piano accompaniment does not double the disjunct vocal melody. 2. Refrigerator. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a humorous description of the contents of a refrigerator. The colorful text is set with much text painting. There are glissandi in the vocal melody. The voice has varied phrase shapes and lengths to match the text. 3. A Small Tin Parrot Pin. Range: b – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The meter shifts regularly between duple and compound meters. The vocal phrases are angular and irregular; there are many sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment punctuates the vocal melody. The text is a descriptive narrative of a man’s pin. 4. Snake Lake. Range: c-sharp1 – e2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a warning not to

265 swim in a lake because, one can assume from the song’s title, snakes inhabit the waters. The ‘s,’ in all words containing the consonant, is heightened throughout the song. Excellent acting skills are required. The vocal melody has glissandi and melismatic passages. The piano accompaniment has short, fast rhythmic motives.

Sunflowers. Texts by Mary Oliver. Published in 2000 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Commissioned by Adelaide Whitaker for Thomas Houser. Composed for soprano voice. 1. Sunflowers. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is of substantial length, and stamina is necessary in the performers. There is much text and it is set primarily syllabically. The song is well developed, with recurring themes in the voice and piano. There is much chromaticism. 2. Dreams. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is of substantial length. The text is long and is on imagery of dreaming. There is much text painting. The vocal phrases are long with arching phrase contours and sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment is lyrical with much rhythmic motion. 3. Sunrise. Range: e1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is long and demands stamina in the performers. The tempo is flexible, as noted in the score. The voice has high, sustained pitches for most of the song. The piano accompaniment has chromatic motion. The score is clearly marked with dynamics, tempi, articulations, and

266 pedal indications.

One or Two Things. Texts by Mary Oliver. Published in 2001 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Composed for mezzo-soprano. 1. Don’t Bother Me. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal line has sustained phrases that ascend. The piano accompaniment supports the vocal melody, but does not double. There are many shifts in tempo, articulation and dynamics throughout in the piano and voice. 2. The God of Dirt. Range: c1 – d2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is brief. The score indicates that the performers should keep a very strict tempo. The song is tonal with much chromaticism. 3. One or Two Things. Range: c-sharp1 – e-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The meter shifts regularly, and many tempo, articulation and dynamic shifts are indicated in the score. The vocal melody is lyrical. The vocal phrases vary in length, and they often end on high, sustained pitches.

Round and Round. Texts by Spencer Lindbergh. Published in 2001 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Composed for mezzo-soprano or soprano. 1.

Earlier This Afternoon. Range: d-flatt1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. The piano accompaniment is moderately

267 difficult. The text is about playing Mozart’s music. The vocal melody is lyrical and has regular phrase lengths. The piano accompaniment has much rhythmic motion. 2.

Little Plump Person. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is humorous; it is about an old lady in the audience of a concert. The vocal phrases and rhythmic motives are driven by the text inflection.

3.

I Contrived a Poem. Range: d-sharp1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Piano and voice have difficult rhythmic units that are not shared between parts. The vocal phrases are long, and there are sustained high pitches at the ends of phrases. The text is about a relationship with lots of biting humor. An emotionally mature singer is necessary.

4.

Bar the Door. Range: c1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is fast. The vocal part has lengthy phrases and short rhythmic values. The voice is not doubled by the piano. The piano has many accidentals and wide motion across the keyboard.

5.

Little Anne. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody is driven by the text; there is text painting throughout the song. The vocal melody is angular, and the text is set syllabically. There are many meter shifts and tempi changes in the short song.

6.

Round and Round. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is

268 difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The meter is in 6/8. There is much pedal usage instructed in the piano. This lyrical song is about music and dancing.

The Years. Texts by Sara Teasdale. Published in 2002 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Eleanor and Gershen Rosenblum on their 50th wedding anniversary. Composed for soprano or mezzo-soprano. 1. Jewels. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text, according to the composer, represents what could have been. The vocal line is set syllabically and is lyrical. The piano part does not double the voice, but supports it harmonically. There is much chromaticism. 2. To-Night. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is andante and much of the meter is in triple time. There are many wide leaps in the voice. The vocal melody moves independently from the piano accompaniment. The piano has much vertical motion. 3. Barter. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The texture of the piano is is thin, transparent, and allows the vocal melody to take precedence. The vocal melody is disjunct and lyrical. The voice has many difficult intervals to navigate. 4. Faults. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is

269 moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. There are metrical shifts. The tempo is fast and to be in strict time, as indicated in the score. The text is straight forward about loving someone for his faults. The text setting is syllabic and fits the meters well. 5. The Years. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The piano has thin texture, but makes use of very wide registration. The voice is lyrical but has wide leaps and unusual rhythmic stress.

Lines Written at the Falls. Text by Thomas Moore. Published in 2003 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Susan Dormady; composed for her novel, The Voice I Just Heard. Range: b-flat – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. Composed for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There are many melismatic passages in the vocal and piano parts. The meter shifts very frequently and is often very complex. Counting may present a problem due to the complex meters and rhythmic motives. The melodic material matches the text inflection well. Explicit instructions, regarding tempo, mood, articulation and timbre are marked in the score.

Little Elegy. Text by Elinor Wylie. Published in 2002 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to the memory of Reid Brecher (1978-2002). Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for medium-high voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is brief and incorporates several meter shifts and much syncopation in the voice and piano. The tempo is quick

270 and flexible. The text is full of grief. There is some text painting.

Two Dickinson Songs. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 2004 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Good morning midnight. Dedicated to Milton Laitman’s 86th birthday and Warren Jones. Range: d-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The voice has many half-step dissonances with the accompaniment. The texture is clean, and the vocal melody is dominant. 2. Wider than the sky. Dedicated to Eleanor Rosenblum’s 76th birthday and Warren Jones. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. Piano and vocal parts have syncopated rhythms, and the piano does not double the voice. The voice has lyrical lines that arch upward with sustained high pitches.

Within These Spaces. Texts by Nebraskan women. Published in 2002 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Anne Foradori and Valerie Cisler. Composed for soprano. 1. I Grow to be My Grandmother. Text by Marjorie Saiser. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is rhythmically complex in the piano and vocal parts. The meter shifts regularly, and the piano and voice do not align in rhythmic motives. The vocal phrases are short and fragmented, matching the text.

271 2. My Mother Has Recovered. Text by Marjorie Saiser. Range: d1 – a-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on the harvest of lilacs and rhubarb, and it is very illustrative through text painting. The voice has many wide intervals, and it is lyrical. The piano accompaniment has a variety of articulations and covers a wide range. 3. Letter to My Daughter. Text by Marjorie Saiser. Range: c1 – c3. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The texture is thin throughout; the piano and voice have rhythmic and metric complexities. The text is from a mother’s perspective of being introduced to her daughter’s baby. The text requires a mature singer. 4. The China Cup. Text by Janet Coleman. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The meter shifts regularly. The vocal part is supported, but not doubled, by the piano accompaniment. The text is set syllabically, and the vocal phrases are disjunct and lengthy. The text is about a grown woman’s memories of a china cup from childhood and the perspective she has gained throughout her life. 5. Pioneer Child’s Doll. Text by Judith Sornberger. Range: d-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on the difficulties of pioneer life. There is a substantial piano introduction. The tempo is moderate, and there are complex rhythmic motives in the piano and vocal parts. The vocal line is lyrical and has long, arching phrases.

272 Becoming a Redwood. Text by Dana Gioia. Enchanted Knickers Music (BMI), 2003. Composed in 2003 for Bruce Rosenblum, Laitman’s husband, for his 50th birthday. For high voice and piano or orchestra. 1. The Song. Range b-flat – f-sharp2. Vocal part is moderately difficult. Piano part is moderately difficult. A-B-A form with long, legato vocal lines. Both piano and vocal lines are full of specific performance instructions. 2. Pentecost. Range c1-a-flat2. Difficult vocal line and moderate accompaniment. The piano accompaniment contains an ostinato pattern throughout. The vocal line is built on a melody related to the melody of the first song. The vocal line builds to a climax with repeated octave leaps. 3. Curriculum Vitae. Range f1-f2. Moderate vocal line and moderate piano accompaniment. This song is short and sparse. The vocal line is exposed due to rests in the accompaniment, and requires long, legato phrasing. The accompaniment is built of several short rhythmic motives. 4. Becoming a Redwood. Range d-flat1 – a-flat2. Vocally moderately difficult and moderate accompaniment. Melodic and rhythmic motives return in this song from the past three songs. There is much text painting in the vocal line. Musical motives in the piano help unify the cycle, and the piano finishes with a postlude harkening back to the end of Curriculum Vitae.

Early Snow. Text by Mary Oliver. Enchanted Knickers Music (BMI), 2003. Composed between November 2002 and March 2003. The cycle was commissioned by Dr. Adelaide Whitaker for soprano Jennifer Check. For soprano and piano. 9 minutes.

273 1. Last Night the Rain Spoke to Me. Range c1-b-flat2. Vocal part is moderate. Piano part is moderately difficult. Text painting is evident in the vocal line and piano part. Long vocal phrases with large leaps that cross the passagio. 2. Blue Iris. Range d1-b-flat2. Difficult vocal part and moderate piano part. The vocal line covers a wide range and has a wide tessitura. Metric shifts accentuate the text stress well, but occur quickly. 3. Early Snow. Range c1-b-flat2. Difficult vocal part and moderate piano accompaniment. Vocally long phrases with many large leaps covering the extended range of the song.

Fresh Patterns. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2003. Composed for soprano. The third song in the cycle is for two sopranos and is not included here. 1. It’s All I Have to Bring Today. Text by Emily Dickinson. Dedicated to Alisa Jordheim. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal melody is angular with large leaps. The song is pitch-centric, with much chromaticism in the voice and piano. The piano accompaniment is sparse with primarily two voices of counterpoint, and it is harmonically supportive of the vocal melody. 2. Letter for Emily Dickinson. Text by Annie Finch. Dedicated to Alisa Jordheim. Range: c-sharp1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with much chromaticism and dissonance in the vocal and piano parts. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases that are disjunct in motion. The piano accompaniment has two-voiced

274 counterpoint throughout. The vocal melody is highly exposed throughout the song.

Money. Text by Dana Gioia. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2003. Dedicated to Bruce Rosenblum. Range: d-flat1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. Composed as a duet for soprano and baritone, and composed as a solo for medium high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The musical style is driven by the text, with several styles explored in the voice and piano. The score contains explicit instructions for style adjustments in the voice and piano. The vocal melody is angular, with large leaps to navigate. The text is ironic and is a humorous, description of what money is and how the monetary system drives a person’s behavior.

The Throwback. Text by Paul Muldoon. Enchanted Knickers Music (BMI), Composed in April-June 2003. Poems chosen to deal with the cycles of life. For baritone and piano. 1. Cradle Song for Asher. Range e-f1. Vocally moderately difficult with a moderate piano accompaniment. Written for Muldoon’s son. Rocking motion in piano suggests a lullaby. Narrow tessitura in vocal line. 2. The Ancestor. Range B-flat – e1. Written for William Sharp. Waltz-like feel established at the beginning in the piano line remains throughout the song. Moderate piano accompaniment and vocal line. The piano line is unexpected in harmonies and articulation. Syllabically set text with repeated rhythms and vocally friendly dynamics. There are unexpected harmonic shifts. 3. Redknots. Range c#-f1. Moderately difficult vocal line and easy piano. There are

275 large leaps in the vocal line, and many go over the passagio. Rocking motion again in the piano. Laitman says the opening piano part is depicting a pregnant woman’s belly. 4. The Breather. Range d-e-flat1. Easy vocal part and piano part. Very short song. Constant quarter notes in the right hand and melody similar to the vocal line in the left hand. 5. The Throwback. Range d-flat – f1. Moderate vocal line and easy piano line. There is much text painting throughout the song. A long piano solo occurs at the end and the initial words of the song are repeated.

Five Lovers. Texts by Jama Jandrokovic. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2005. Composed for soprano. Should be performed as a cycle. 1. On Meeting Again. Range: d-sharp1 – c3. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a nostalgic yearning to sleep in the arms of a past lover. The song is in triple meter, and the melody and rhythm have a lilt, much like a lullaby. The vocal melody is angular, with many ascending leaps. The accompaniment is supportive, but secondary to the melody. The tempo is moderate, with much flexibility marked in the score. 2. Lovely in his Bones. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is very short. There are syncopated rhythms in the voice and piano, and the character of the song is hinting at jazz through the rhythms and close harmonies. The text is about a woman watching her lover walk down the street.

276 3. This Morning. Range: b – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. A woman imagines she is waking up with her lover, although she is waking up alone, in the brief poem. The imagined presence of her lover is conveyed musically with long, lyrical, conjunct phrases and warm harmonies. The actuality of being alone is musically portrayed with disjunct phrasing and stark harmonies. 4. Second Date. Range: c-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a humorous examination of a second date full of awkwardness and boredom. The repetitive piano accompaniment conveys the boredom. The vocal melody has short, fragmented phrases that convey the lack of desire on the woman’s behalf. 5. July, 95 degrees. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on a woman’s choice to swim away from any man until she finds the ideal lover. The accompaniment has a triplet figure that provides motion and an unsettled feeling. The vocal melody has arching phrase contours. The song is tonal with lush harmonies and chromaticism throughout.

The Apple Orchard. Text by Dana Gioia. Enchanted Knickers Music (BMI), 2004. Composed in December 2000 – Jan 1 2004. Range B – a-flat1. For tenor or baritone. Vocally difficult with moderately difficult accompaniment. Large leaps in the vocal line with excellent text setting. Accompaniment is sparse in relation to the vocal line.

277 Swimmers on the Shore. Text by David Mason. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2004.

Range: C – f1. The tessitura is high. Composed for baritone voice.

The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is from the perspective of a son whose elderly father is dying. The song requires a mature singer. The vocal melody is disjunct with quickly moving rhythmic figures. The piano accompaniment is secondary in importance to the vocal melody, but does not double the voice. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The text inflection is set rhythmically and melodically very well. The text setting is primarily syllabic.

Equations of the Light. Text by Dana Gioia. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2005. The song was composed as a duet or a solo vocal piece. Range: c1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The solo version of the song was composed for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is an elegant description of two people examining the prospect of a life together, before deciding to go their separate ways. The music illustrates the text well, with text painting in the vocal and piano parts. The song is tonal. Traditional harmonic progressions are used during the exploration of the couple’s future together. After the couple parts, dissonance returns in the piano and voice. The tessitura is wide. The song is also lovely as a duet.

This Space Available. Text by Thomas Lux. Published in 2005 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Gary Poster and Karyn Friedman. Range: A – d1. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for bass. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The meter shifts regularly throughout. The vocal

278 melody is disjunct, and independent of the piano part. The piano accompaniment punctuates the vocal line, and has many chord clusters.

Orange Afternoon Lover. Texts by Margaret Atwood. Published in 2006 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Eileen Strempel and Sylvie Beaudette. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Against Still Life. Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is somewhat abstract and is about communication between lovers. The voice has many large leaps and quickly shifting dynamics, articulations, and tempi. The piano often doubles the vocal line. The piano has a sparse texture, which highlights the vocal melody. 2. I Was Reading a Scientific Article. Range: b – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment has repetitious sixteenth notes in the right hand; this incessant rhythm gives the song momentum. The voice is melismatic in several passages and has quick rhythmic figures throughout the song. The score is marked “spunky.” The text is on the effects one lover has on the other. 3. I am Sitting. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. Both piano and voice have shifting meters and syncopated rhythmic units. The piano doubles the voice at times. Many shifts in dynamics, articulations, tempi occur in rapid succession in both piano and voice. The vocal part has many sustained high

279 pitches.

Eloise at Yaddo. Text by David Yezzi. Published in 2007 by Enchanted Knickers Music. Dedicated to Michael Peich and Dana Gioia. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. Tessitura is moderately high. Composed for soprano or mezzo-soprano. Vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is humorous and is about poets. The vocal line has many octave leaps. The dynamics and articulations in the voice create the text inflection and add to the humor of the song.

A Wild Sostenuto. Text by Richard Wilbur. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2008. Dedicated to Charlotte Wilbur. Range: A – f1. The tessitura is high. Composed for baritone voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal, with many dissonances and unexpected harmonic changes. The piano accompaniment has lush, richly colored harmonies. The piano part does not double the vocal melody, but is rhythmically and harmonically supportive of it. The text is on the development of a love affair.

The Blood Jet. Texts by Sylvia Plath. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2008. Composed for soprano voice. The songs should be performed as a cycle. 1. Morning Song. Range: c-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the birth of a child and the range of emotions that come with it. The song is strongly pitchcentric, with many dissonant passages and chromatic harmonies. The vocal

280 melody has regular phrase lengths with commonly occurring octave leaps. The vocal phrases generally rise in pitch throughout phrases. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal melody, but does not double the melody. The piano part has mainly three voices of counterpoint. 2. The Rival. Range: d-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a bitter declaration of anger towards a selfish, preoccupied lover. The piano accompaniment has steady, twovoiced counterpoint throughout. Both piano and voice contain syncopation and text painting. The tempo is fast with adjustments noted in the score. There is a wide range of dynamics in the piano and voice. Whole-tone scales are utilized in the piano and voice. 3. Kindness. Range: e-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a woman’s realization that what is supposed to make her happy – her children and the kindness of those around her – only deepens her depression. The accompaniment has a sparse, twovoiced texture. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases with a syllabic text setting. 4. Balloons. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The poem is a happy exploration of a woman’s children and their fascination with balloons. The vocal melody is disjunct, with similar motives to those of the first song. The accompaniment has a dense texture, but does not overshadow the vocal melody. The song has a strong pitch center, with much chromaticism and nontraditional harmonic progressions.

281 Silver Swan. Text by Orlando Gibbons. Published by Enchanted Knickers Music in 2008. Dedicated to Dr. Carol Kimball. Two versions are published; one version is for piano and voice, and the other version is for piano, voice and flute. Range: b-flat – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Composed for mezzo-soprano. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The majority of the song is in triple meter, and there are many hemiolas in the vocal melody. There is text painting throughout the song. The tempo is marked as extremely flexible in the score. The piano accompaniment has an obbligato in the top voice, with an emphasis on g2 and f2. Pedaling is carefully marked in the score. The song is compact and charming.

282 CHAPTER XXI LIBBY LARSEN

Biography and Style Libby Larsen was born in 1950 in Wilmington, Delaware. She currently lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Larsen is considered one of the most prolific living American composers, and she is considered the most prolific female American composer. Larsen has composed more than 400 works, which span many genres including vocal, orchestral, choral, chamber and solo instrumental genres. She has also composed 15 operas. Larsen’s music is regarded highly worldwide, and she is a sought after composer for commissions by prestigious artists and ensembles internationally. Along with her many commissions, Larsen has acquired countless honors, awards and accolades. She won a Grammy in 1994 as producer of the recording, The Art of Arleen Auger, which includes Larsen’s Sonnets from the Portuguese. Larsen was the first woman to serve as a composer in residence with a nationally acclaimed orchestra. She has held residencies with the California Institute of the Arts, the Arnold Schoenberg Institute, the Minnesota Orchestra, the Cincinnati Conservatory, the Colorado Symphony and the Philadelphia School of the Arts. Many of Larsen’s compositions have been recorded on major record labels. Larsen has established herself not only as a composer, but also as an advocate for the arts and education. She held the 2003-2004 Harissios Papamarkou Chair in Education at the Library of Congress, and she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Larsen also received the Eugene

283 McDermott Award in the Arts from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is known for being outspoken in her support of contemporary music, musicians and living composers. In 1973, Larsen co-founded with Stephen Paulus the Minnesota Composers Forum, which is now the American Composers Forum. This organization is a composers’ advocacy group. Larsen has long been committed to her role as an activist for contemporary music, and has served on the boards of the American Symphony Orchestra League and Meet the Composer, and on The American Composers Forum. Larsen served on the Music Panel of the National Endowment for the Arts, she held the position as Vice President of the American Music Center, and she was the director of the College Music Society. Larsen’s vocal music has very distinct musical qualities. Overall, her solo vocal repertoire is highly rhythmic, possessing intricate complexities between the piano and voice. The piano accompaniments contain orchestral colorations with textures varying from narrow, transparent qualities to vast, dense characteristics. Larsen works within traditional tonality, but utilizes unexpected harmonic progressions in unique ways. Both piano and voice contain chromatic passages, and the timbres created by the harmonic language vary from warm and rich to cool and sparse. Although Larsen does write the occasional memorable tune, her vocal melodies are generally highly chromatic and disjunct. The voice and piano possess equal and separate importance. She chooses weighty poetry from a wide range of poets, mostly women. Overall, her vocal repertoire is constructed with moment-to-moment ideas used to match individual words. Larsen rarely composes in a broad, general overview of the

284 entire text, but rather constructs her songs in moment-to-moment ideas used to match individual words.

Song Annotations Cowboy Songs. Published in 1994 by E.C. Schirmer Publishing. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Bucking Bronco. Text by Belle Starr. Range: d-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a first person account of falling in love with a cowboy. The texture is transparent. Rhythm gives a western stylized effect in both the piano and voice. There is text painting in the voice. The vocal melody has sections that are unaccompanied. The song is tonal with some unexpected harmonic progressions. 2. Lift Me Into Heaven Slowly. Text by Robert Creeley. Range: d1- f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is slow and the meter is 6/4. The vocal melody is lyrical and has many large leaps. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice in places and makes use of an extended range. 3. Billy the Kid. Text by an anonymous author. Range: c-sharp1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is fast. The voice has many repetitious sixteenth note melodic figures. The text is set syllabically. The piano is supportive of the vocal line.

285

Me. Texts by Brenda Ueland. Published in 1998 by Oxford University Press. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Why I Write This Book. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a description of where the author sits. The use of major and minor thirds permeates both piano and voice. The piano has duple and triple groupings happening simultaneously. The voice has quick rhythmic units that match the text inflection. The song is tonal with much dissonance. 2. Childhood. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with unexpected harmonies, dissonances and modulations. The song is lengthy and requires vocal stamina. The text is on memories from childhood and is nostalgic in mood. The voice has long, lyrical phrases juxtaposed with short fragments of phrases. The piano doubles the voice in places, but is rhythmically dissimilar to the vocal part. 3. Adolescence. Range: d1 – c3. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on not being chosen to dance by any boys; it requires a mature singer. The vocal part is disjunct and has many short phrase fragments and, also, long, melismatic passages. The accompaniment has a very dense, rhythmically complex part. The song has many dramatic instructions in the score. 4. Greenwich Village. Range: d-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a

286 description of being a hormonal adolescent girl and is humorous and poignant. The vocal part has many large leaps and is not doubled by the accompaniment. The accompaniment has dissonant harmonies within thick textures; the accompanimental figures have quick rhythmic motion. The voice has passages that are unaccompanied; the singer must also speak passages of the text. 5. Marriage…Divorce. Range: c1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is an abstract depiction of love. The voice has lengthy phrases with a disjunct melody. The piano has similarly shaped phrases and uses an extensive range. The piano does not double the voice, but they align rhythmically in many passages. 6. Work. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has many dense, block chords that move chromatically. The voice and piano do not align rhythmically or melodically. The voice has many large intervallic leaps within phrases. The vocal phrases are lengthy. The song is tonal with unexpected harmonic motion. 7. Art (Life is Love…). Range: b-flat – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has very fast rhythmic motives that create momentum, while remaining static in harmonies. The vocal phrases are long and have large leaps within. The vocal phrases often end on high pitches with reduced dynamic levels. Great vocal stamina is necessary for this song. The text is full of imagery and explores love, life and art in positive lights.

287 8. The Present. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Both piano and voice have dense, quick rhythmic motives to perform. The voice has unaccompanied sections, which require strong pitch memory. The song is tonal with many dissonances and unprepared harmonic motion. The text is a description of the author’s present, after having delved through her past in the previous poems.

Songs from Letters: Calamity Jane to her Daughter Janey 1880-1902. Texts by Calamity Jane. Published in 1989 by Oxford University Press. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. So Like Your Father’s (1880). Range: e1 – f2. Tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. This short song is much like a recitative. The opening vocal line is unaccompanied, and the rest of the vocal melody is punctuated with piano. The vocal melody outlines chords and has arching phrases. 2. He Never Misses (1880). Range: f1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is repetitious and has complex rhythms. The voice changes according to the text; there are long, lyrical phrases and short, highly articulated phrases. The song is performance art, as there are staging instructions throughout for the singer. 3. A Man Can Love Two Women (1880). Range: c-sharp1 – b-flat2. The tessitura

288 is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text has many changing emotions, which are presented in the music through dynamics, articulations, and tempi. The vocal line is unaccompanied for much of the song; the piano has punctuating motives at the ends of the vocal phrases. 4. A Working Woman (1882-1893). Range: d-flat1 – c3. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Ensemble may be a problem because of the independence of voice and piano parts and the complexities of the rhythmic motives. The text inflection is excellent. Passages of the voice are unaccompanied. There are several shifts between arioso and recitative styles. 5. All I Have (1902). Range: e-flat1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The texture throughout the song is primarily thin. The piano accompaniment does not double the voice. The singer must be independent and have strong pitch memory.

Sonnets from the Portuguese. Texts by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Published in 1998 by Oxford Unversity Press. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. I thought once how Theocritus had sung. Range: f1- g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment gains rhythmic momentum through the middle of the song, but has many block chords and static harmonies otherwise. The voice is not doubled in the piano and needs a strong, independent singer. The song is tonal with dissonances. The voice is highlighted throughout because of

289 the slow rhythmic motion in the piano. 2. My letters! Range: e-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The texture throughout is dense and complex. The piano has much rhythmic motion and does not align with the voice. The vocal part has irregular phrase lengths with many large leaps and sustained high pitches. The song is pitch-centric with many dissonances and unusual intervals. There are many meter and tempi shifts. The text is about love and there is much text painting throughout the song. 3. With the same heart, I said, I’ll answer thee. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal part has unaccompanied sections that require strong pitch memory. There are many shifts in meter throughout. The piano accompaniment is rhythmically complex and moves quickly. The song is pitch-centric with many unexpected harmonic progressions. The text is set primarily syllabically and diction may pose a problem because of the tessitura and dense texture of the song. 4. If I leave all for thee. Range: e1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on grief and love. The song has lyrical phrases in the piano and voice. There is steady quarter note motion throughout in 6/4 meter. The melodic motion is nearly exclusively conjunct. The vocal phrases are very long and have sustained high pitches. The song is long and requires vocal stamina. 5. Oh, Yes! Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There are many shifts in meter, dynamics,

290 tempi, and articulation in both piano and voice. The piano doubles the voice in places and has, in general, a dense, quickly moving part. The voice is angular and complex in rhythmic and melodic material. The song is tonal with many dissonances. 6. How do I love thee? Range: e1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about enduring love. The tempo is marked as freely. The text inflection matches the musical inflections well. The voice has much scalar motion and the piano has block chords. The vocal has long phrases and sustained high pitches throughout the song.

Perineo. Text by Roberto Echavarren; Aids Quilt Songbook, Boosey & Hawkes, 1993; for Bill Harwood and Will Parker. Range b – f2. Appropriate for middle voice types, male and female. Technically difficult for the voice and piano; the text also requires emotional maturity. Both voice and accompaniment are rhythmically challenging; the parts enhance each other, however, neither provides harmonic or rhythmic support to the other. The voice has long phrases with many large leaps within. The text shifts between Spanish and English.

Margaret Songs. Texts by Willa Cather. Published in 1998 by Oxford University Press. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Bright Rails. Range: g-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about

291 returning home on the train. The voice and piano musically depict the train in the melody and rhythmic unity. The vocal melody has long, sustained phrases. The piano provides rhythmic momentum. The song is tonal with a lyrical melody and many dissonances. 2. So Little There. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody has passages that are unaccompanied. The piano accompaniment does not double the voice, and the piano and voice are rhythmically dissimilar. The text is on the coming of age of a young woman. 3. Beneath the Hawthorne Tree. Range: f1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal melody has complex rhythmic units with difficult intervals to navigate quickly. The piano accompaniment has sixteenth notes throughout that create a lush texture. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The text is on young love.

Late in the Day. Texts by Jeanne Shepard. Published in 1998 by Oxford. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. The Ant and the Grasshopper. Range: g1 – b2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a short fable. The amount of text and the complex rhythms of the voice may cause diction to be a concern. The song is tonal with chromaticism. The voice and piano operate independently, and ensemble may be difficult. 2. Clinging. Range: d1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part

292 is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a metaphor for something non-descript. There is rubato within the song, and the piano simulates water. There is dissonance and chromaticism. Piano and voice are completely independent of one another. 3. Travelling. Range: f-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal part has passages of unaccompanied singing. The song is tonal with much dissonance. The voice and piano have difficult rhythmic units that do not coincide. The voice has wide leaps and many sustained high pitches.

Love After 1950. A Song Cycle for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano. Poetry by women about various aspects of love. Commissioned for Susanne Mentzer by Artistic Circles, an Illinois not-for-profit corporation. Premiered on August 7, 2000 at the Ravinia Music Festival in Chicago, Illinois. 1. Boy’s Lips (a blues). Text by Rita Dove. Range: b-flat – e-flat2. Both piano and vocal parts are moderately difficult. Tessitura is moderately high. Accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal line, but does not double it. There are many triplet figures in the piano and voice, and half-step intervals are emphasized. The text is set exclusively syllabically. 2. Blonde Men (a torch song). Text by Julie Kane. Range: c-sharp1-e2. The tessitura is in the middle of a typical mezzo range. Vocal part is difficult. Piano accompaniment is difficult. Music is very expressive of the text. There are unexpected harmonies and rhythms in both piano and voice. The voice has rising

293 lines throughout phrases. Test is suggestive of sexual relations, and is not appropriate for young singers. 3. Big sister says, 1967 (a honky-tonk). Text by Kathryn Daniels. Range: g – fsharp2. Tessitura is very large; the vocalist spends considerable time around the upper passagio. Vocal and piano parts are difficult. The piano part consists of honk-tonk pastiche; it has many complex rhythms, tremolos, and dense harmonic textures. The voice is not doubled by the piano; there are many complex rhythms in the vocal line with harmonic languages that boarders atonality. The text is a humorous depiction of beauty routines. 4. The empty song (a tango). Text by Liz Lochead. Range: d1-d2. The tessitura is in the medium-low part of a mezzo range. The piano accompaniment is difficult; the vocal line is moderate in difficulty. Some meter shifts occur to accommodate the text. The text is set syllabically with appropriate rhythmic stress to match the text inflection. 5. I make my magic (Isadora’s dance). Text by Muriel Rukeyser. Range: b – e2. The tessitura is large and spends much time in the upper passagio. The piano and vocal parts are both difficult. The piano part has many complex rhythms with shifting meters and requires much hand-crossing. The voice has many complex rhythms and atonal harmonies.

My Antonia. Texts based on the novel by Willa Cather. Published in 2004 by Oxford University Press. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Landscape I: From the Train. Range: f1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate.

294 The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about childhood memories. The music shows a shift between past and present with rhythmic motives and textural density in the voice and piano. There is much text, and diction should be precisely executed. 2. Antonia. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Both piano and vocal parts have complex rhythmic motives. The voice has many large leaps and irregular phrase lengths and shapes to match the text. 3. Landscape II: Winter. Range: e1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The voice has unaccompanied passages. The piano has short gestures and is not harmonically supportive of the voice. The song is pitch-centric. 4. The Hired Girls. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is a slow waltz. The song is tonal with much less dissonance than the other songs in the cycle. The vocal part has wide leaps and several legato passages. The song ends with a passage of unaccompanied voice. 5. Landscape III: Prairie Spring. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The piano has repetitious tone clusters throughout the song. The voice has a lyrical melody over the pulsing rhythms of the piano. The song is tonal. The vocal phrases are long and have sustained high pitches. There is text painting of springtime images. There are many meter changes.

295 6. Antonia in the Field. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderate in difficulty. The song has a very broad tempo with lush, romantic harmonies. The song is tonal. The vocal phrases are long with arched contours and sustained high pitches. The piano has steady rhythmic motion throughout and supports the voice. 7. Landscape IV: Sunset. Range: d-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is a continuation of the first song in the cycle. The piano accompaniment is repetitive and rhythmically complex. The voice is not doubled in the piano and has many dissonances with the piano. The vocal phrases are long and have sustained high pitches.

Try Me. Good King. Texts are the final words of the wives of Henry VIII. Published in 2002 by Oxford University Press. Composed for soprano. The songs should be sung as a cycle and require a mature singer. 1. Katherine of Aragon. Range: f1- a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano has steady sixteenth notes repeated on one pitch throughout the entire song. The piano also has quotes of “In Darkness let me dwell” by John Dowland. The vocal line is chromatic and melismatic in passages. The song is tonal with many dissonances and chromatic motion. 2. Anne Boleyn. Range: f1 – c3. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The vocal line is disjunct and angular; the

296 vocal melody is primarily set syllabically. There are several passages of unaccompanied singing, and the style shifts between recitative and aria. The piano accompaniment is dense and has quickly moving, repetitive rhythmic figures. The song is atonal. 3. Jane Seymour. Range: f1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. As in the entire cycle, excellent acting skills are required for the text. “Lo, how a rose e’re blooming” by Michael Praetorius is quoted in the piano accompaniment. The song is pitch-centric with many dissonances and unexpected harmonic progressions. The vocal melody is lyrical with long phrases. 4. Anne of Cleves. Range: f1- c3. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The score is marked boisterously, and the tempo is quick in a 6/8 meter. “I care not for these ladies” by Thomas Campion is quoted in the piano accompaniment. The song is atonal. Much of the vocal melody is unaccompanied. 5. Katherine Howard. Range: f-sharp1 – c-sharp3. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The rhythmic figures in both piano and voice are complex and are not shared. The meter changes occur regularly throughout the song. The voice has melismatic passages. The song is atonal. “In darkness let me dwell” by John Dowland is quoted in the piano part, as in the first song of the cycle.

When I am an old Woman. Text by Jenny Joseph. Published in 2008 by E.C. Schirmer.

297 Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for soprano. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about the narrator deciding to misbehave when she is old. There are several meter and tempi changes throughout. The piano doubles the voice in many places. The voice is lyrical, and the phrases are regular. The song is tonal with dissonances.

298 CHAPTER XXII JOHN MUSTO

Biography and Style John Musto was born in 1954 in Brooklyn, New York. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with Seymour Lipkin, Michael Rogers and Paul Jacobs. Post graduation, Musto has been a visiting professor at Brooklyn College, and he frequently lectures at the Julliard School of Music and Manhattan School of Music. Among many compositions for chamber ensembles and orchestra, Musto has composed two piano concerti, three operas with a fourth to premier in 2011, all to libretti of Mark Campbell, and many pieces for voice and various instrumentations. Frequently he performs with singer, Amy Burton, his wife, for whom he has written many compositions. Many of Musto’s songs are for high voice, as Burton is a soprano. Musto has been a guest composer for the Ravinia Festival and a guest composer and teacher for SongFest for several years. He is associated with the New York Festival of Song (for which he has served as new music advisor), the Woltrap Opera Company, Copland House, the Miller Theatre at Columbia University and the Moab Festival. He frequently concertizes throughout the United States and abroad, often with his wife. Recordings of Musto’s compositions can be heard on many leading labels, including Koch, Bridge and Albany. Musto lives on the Upper West Side of Manhattan with his wife and their son. Musto’s style is closely tied to the texts he sets, in that he depicts not only the

299 general mood but also specific images of the texts in both the piano and voice. The texts are often emotionally sophisticated and would not be appropriate for young singers. Musto uses musical quotations from well-known pieces in his songs to create nostalgia. Musto unifies his songs through repetitive use of a rhythmic or melodic motive in the piano and voice. The songs are generally tonal, but contain quite a bit of dissonance and chromaticism in his writing. He also uses a variety of textures in his compositions, but favors lush, romantic harmonies with dense textures. He often creates intricate counterpoint between the piano and voice to generate a sparse, exposed nature in the songs. Both the piano and voice range in difficulty from moderately difficult to difficult.

Song Annotations Canzonettas. Published in 1987 by Southern Music Publishing. Composed for high voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Western Wind. Text is anonymous. Dedicated to Amy Burton. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano and voice both have lyrical melodies. The piano does not double the voice, but is harmonically supportive. There are shifts in meter, and irregular phrase lengths. There is text painting. 2. All Night by the Rose. Text is anonymous. Dedicated to Karen Holvik. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is very short and is about a manipulated love. The piano has a sparse texture, and the voice is exposed and not harmonically or rhythmically supported by the piano.

300 3. The Silver Swan. Text by Orlando Gibbons. Dedicated to Karen Holvik. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is slow, and the piano and voice have broad, lyrical melodies. There is motivic unification in the piano and voice throughout. The piano does not double the voice, but is harmonically supportive. The song is tonal.

Enough Rope. Texts by Dorothy Parker. Published in 1987 by Southern Music Publishing. Dedicated to Pamela Katz. Composed for high voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Social Note. Range: e1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is very fast, and the piano accompaniment has running sixteenth notes throughout. The voice has a disjunct melody and simple, straight eighth note rhythms. 2. Resume. Range: a – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is very short. The tempo is slow and a blues scale is used throughout. The vocal melody is disjunct and has syncopations. The piano accompaniment is not harmonically supportive of the voice and has many rolled chords with extended harmonies. The text is on the threat of torture. 3. The Sea. Range: f-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the death of someone in the ocean. The vocal line has many large leaps and complex rhythms. The piano

301 accompaniment has a repeated eighth note figure throughout. Shadow of the Blues. Texts by Langston Hughes. Published in 1987 by Southern Music Publishing. Dedicated to Christopher Trakas and Steven Blier. Composed for high voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Silhouette. Range: e-flat1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The syncopated rhythms sound almost like swung eighth notes. There is a quote of the song “Dixie” in the piano and voice. The piano doubles the voice in places. The text is about the hanging of a black man and requires a mature singer. 2. Litany. Range: d-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is slow and sustained. The song is unified by a short motive shared in the piano and voice. The song is tonal with few dissonances. The harmonies and chordal accompaniment used are reminiscent of a hymn. 3. Island. Range: e-flat1 – e-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano has minimalistic sixteenth note figures throughout the song. The tempo is very fast. The meters shift regularly between complex meters. The vocal line is sustained over the accompaniment. The song is tonal with few dissonances. Ensemble could pose a problem due to the metrical complexities and piano movement that does not align with the voice. The song is very lyrical with a haunting melody. 4. Could Be. Range: c-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a lost love. The

302 blues scale is used in the piano and voice. The repetitive rhythmic motive in the piano suggests a swung rhythm. The voice has much syncopation with the piano accompaniment. The song is tonal with many dissonances. It is written in a blues style.

Two By Frost. Texts by Robert Frost. Published in 1987 by Southern Music Publishing. Dedicated to Amy Burton. Composed for high voice. Should be sung as a set. 1. Nothing Gold Can Stay. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is only 16 measures in length and is tonal. The voice has a very disjunct line and is not doubled in the piano. There are many large leaps in the voice. The piano accompaniment has many triplet figures and extended harmonies in block chords. 2. The Rose Family. Range: d-flat1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment varies between a transparent, thin texture and a very dense texture. The piano does not double the voice. There are many shifts in meter to match the text inflection.

Triolet. Text by Eugene O’Neill. Published in 1987 by Southern Music Publishing. Dedicated to Amy Burton. Range: c-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderately easy. The accompaniment is moderate. The song is very brief. The tempo is marked as a slow ragtime waltz. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the voice. The text is about yearning for a lover. A simple,

303 charming song.

Lament. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Published in 1989 by Southern Music Publishing. Dedicated to Dr. Anna Burton, in memory of Florence Meister. Range: e1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The texture is very dense, with harmonically colorful chords. The piano and voice both have complex rhythmic figures. The voice is set syllabically and diction could pose a problem with the quick rhythms and high pitches.

Ricuerdo. Published in 1988 by Southern Music Publishing. Composed for high voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Echo. Text by Christina Rossetti. Dedicated to William Sharp and Steven Blier. Range: d-flat1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano and voice share a small motive at the beginning that grows and changes throughout the song. The song is tonal with many dissonances. The piano does not double the voice. The piano begins with a transparent texture and becomes more and more dense. The vocal melody has rising intervals with difficult leaps and sustained high pitches. The text is on a lost love. 2. Ricuerdo. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: b – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is atonal with some pitch centricity. There are many shifts in meter and

304 dynamics. The piano harmonically supports the voice, and it is very dense and quickly moving. The voice has complex rhythms and is disjunct. There is much text, and it is set syllabically. 3. Last Song. Text by Louise Bogan. In memoriam Jeffery French. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on an ending love. The piano has slow, arpeggiated chords that harmonically support, but do not double the vocal line. The voice has rhythmic groupings that do not align with the rhythms in the piano part. The vocal phrases are broad, and many high pitches are sustained.

Quiet Songs. Published in 1990 by Southern Music Publishing. Composed for high voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. maggie and milly and molly and may. Text by E.E. Cummings. Dedicated to Amy Burton. Range: d-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal line is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Many changes in tempi, dynamics and articulations occur throughout the song. The piano gains an increasingly dense texture, and the voice has complex rhythms that do not align with the rhythms of the accompaniment. The text is about young girls playing at the beach. 2. Intermezzo. Text by Amy Elizabeth Burton. Two different keys published. Range: b-flat – f2; c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. A short, simple love song. 3. Quiet Song. Text by Eugene O’Neill. Two different keys published. Range: a –

305 b2; b – c-sharp3. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song has lush, romantic harmonies, and the melody is lyrical. There are regular shifts in meter and dynamics. Both piano and voice have complex rhythmic figures that do not align. The song is lengthy, and there is a significant piano interlude. 4. Christmas Carol. Text by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano part has three staves for much of the song. The voice has wide leaps and irregular phrase lengths. 5. Palm Sunday: Naples. Text by Arthur Symons. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano part has a considerable amount of ornamentation and dense counterpoint throughout. The voice has wide leaps and complex rhythms. The vocal phrases are lengthy and require stamina. The song is tonal with much dissonance. 6. Lullaby. Text by Leonie Adams. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song has a slow tempo and a very lyrical melody. The text is cynical and soothing. The voice has a combination of wide leaps and descending scalar patterns. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the voice, but does not double it.

Heart Beats. Melvin Dixon, Aids Quilt Songbook, Boosey & Hawkes, 1993; for Will Parker; Range b – g2; appropriate for all voice types, male and female. Vocally moderate in difficulty; difficult piano accompaniment. Shifting meters in the vocal and piano lines.

306 Voice has many leaps, some are large; voice has segmented phrases and long melismatic phrases. Piano has fast, rhythmically interesting accompaniment with several lengthy interludes. There is a long quotation of the Stabat Mater in the accompaniment.

Dove Sta Amore. Published in 1998 by Songs of Peer. Dedicated to Cyndia Sieden and Steven Blier. Composed for high voice; recommended for soprano. 1. Maybe. Text by Carl Sandburg. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is atonal. The text is on a woman questioning her love for a man. The vocal phrases are irregular in length and have many sustained high pitches. Triplet figures throughout in the voice and piano give a relaxed momentum and blues-like quality. 2. Sea Chest. Text by Carl Sandburg. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a woman’s love of a sailor. Three verses have the same vocal melody, and the piano accompaniment gains more dissonance for the second verse before returning to a more tonal final verse. A minor pentatonic scale is used. 3. The Hangman at Home. Text by Carl Sandburg. Range: b-flat – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the home life of a hangman and is full of irony; it requires a mature singer. The song is generally atonal. Passages of swung rhythms and suggestions of a blues scale have jazz influences. The text is set syllabically and requires excellent diction.

307 4. How Many Little Children Sleep. Text by James Agee. Range: a – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about how little boys grow into men who become soldiers; it requires an emotionally mature singer. The vocal melody is lyrical and lilting. Passages are very diatonic, followed directly by passages of more dissonance; the dissonance occurs with the violent text. 5. Dove sta amore. Text by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Range: a – d-flat3. The tessitura is extremely wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is of significant length and requires stamina. The text has a repeated Italian phrase and English phrases; it is on finding love. The song is atonal. The vocal phrases are lyrical, and contain many melismas. The piano accompaniment has quickly moving rhythmic units that give the song momentum.

I Stop Writing the Poem. Text by Tess Gallagher. Published in 1999 by Songs of Peer. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the daily activities of a wife and mother. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The voice is lyrical with some large leaps and sustained high pitches. The piano accompaniment does not double the voice.

Old Photograph. Text by Archibald MacLeish. Published in 1999 by Songs of Peer. Dedicated to Yves Abel. Range: c – a1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for tenor. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is

308 lyrical and tonal with dissonances. The meter shifts often and the piano and voice have syncopation. The piano does not double, but harmonically supports the voice well. The text is about longing for a past lover. The vocal phrases are generally short and fragmented; the piano phrases are made up of scalar patterns.

San Jose Symphony Reception. Text by Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Published in 1999 by Songs of Peer. Dedicated to William Sharp. Range: c – g-flat1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for tenor. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the interpersonal dynamics at a cocktail party and has many sexual innuendos. The text requires an emotionally mature singer. There is much humor in the song. The piano doubles the voice in passages. There is text painting and much syncopation in the voice.

Words to Be Spoken. Text by Archibald MacLeish. Published in 1999 by Songs of Peer. Dedicated to Chris Pedro Trakas. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text has abstract images and is about death. The meter shifts regularly. The vocal melody is developed from a single melodic and rhythmic unit. The piano has two significant interludes.

Penelope. Texts by Denise Lanctot. Published in 2000 by Songs of Peer. Dedicated to Amy Burton. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Prologue. Range: b-flat – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult.

309 The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the literal and figurative absence of a husband; it should be sung by a mature singer. The song is tonal with dissonances throughout. The piano has a strong, distinct, disjunct bass line for much of the song. The voice has wide leaps and chromatic motion. 2. Penelope’s Lament. Range: c1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about a wife lamenting the absence of her husband; the text is dramatic and requires excellent acting skills. The voice has long, lyrical phrases, with many large leaps. The piano accompaniment has a dense texture and many variations in articulations. 3. Weaving Song. Range: a-sharp – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on the comparison of weaving to the longing for a husband’s return. The piano part musically depicts the repetitive weaving motion in the left hand. The voice has irregular phrase lengths and shapes, and it is legato and sustained. The song is pitch-centric with many unexpected progressions. 4. Epithalamium. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about making love and requires a mature singer. The song is short and compact in structure. There are many shifts in meter. The piano part has running eighth notes, and the voice has a combination of running eighth notes and sustained high pitches. It is a lovely song. 5. The Suitors. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on the meddling of others in

310 one woman’s marriage. The text spoken by the woman has a lyrical melody; the text spoken by the other people has short, repetitive rhythmic figures. There are many shifts in meter, articulations, dynamics and characters throughout. 6. Odyssey. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about traveling and is filled with rich imagery. The tempo is fast and the piano has chordal sixteenth note motion throughout. The voice has lyrical, long phrases. The song is tonal with lush, romantic harmonies. 7. Epilogue: Penelope’s Song. Range: b – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a tender love song sung by a wife to a husband, who is far away. The piano part has syncopated triplet figures throughout. The vocal melody has arching, lyrical phrases. There are many shifts in meter. Ensemble could pose a problem because of the syncopated rhythms in the piano that do not align with the voice.

Flamenco. Text by C. K. Williams. Published in 2001 by Songs of Peer. Dedicated to Catherine and Charlie. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on the affair of a woman and a flamenco guitarist who was a drug addict. The text requires a mature singer. There is a line of text that is repeated many times; the text and the accompanying melody unify the song.

Nude at the Piano. Text by Mark Campbell. Published in 2001 by Songs of Peer.

311 Dedicated to Robert White. Range: b – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There are many changes in meter and complex rhythmic units. The tempo is marked ‘moderate, a bit woozy.’ The piano does not double the voice. The song is tonal with much chromaticism. There are syncopations in the voice. The text is about a lost love.

Viva Sweet Love. Published in 2005 by Songs of Peer. Dedicated to Bevelyn and Jason Hardy. Composed for high voice; recommended for tenor. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. as is the sea marvelous. Text by E. E. Cummings. Range: c-sharp1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano plays an important role in creating the mood and coloration of the song. The piano part has many ascending 64th note arpeggiation figures throughout the song. The vocal melody is sustained, and is not doubled by the piano. The text is on love with many images of the sea. 2. Rome in the Café. Text by James Laughlin. Range: d-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The text depicts a scene in a café with two lovers, and a second man who longs to be with the woman; a mature singer is required. The voice is disjunct and has short fragments of phrases. The piano accompaniment has quick rhythmic figures and many accidentals. Many meter shifts occur throughout the song. 3. You came as a thought. Text by James Laughlin. Range: e-flat1 – f-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano

312 accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on the timing of love. The song is brief. The tempo is slow. The piano is sustained with block chords. The voice has rhythmic interest and is harmonically supported, but not doubled, by the piano. 4. Crystal Palace Market. Text by James Laughlin. Range: c-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about missing an old lover. The tempo is moderate with slightly swung eighth notes. The song sounds like a blues song, with blue notes emphasized in the piano and voice. The voice has difficult intervals to navigate without help from the piano. 5. sweet spring. Text by E. E. Cummings. Range: b – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The text is an exuberant description of falling in love during the springtime. The meter shifts often, and there are syncopations in the voice. The piano increases in density throughout the song; the piano has many fast, scalar patterns. The voice is not doubled by the piano.

313 CHAPTER XXIII THOMAS PASATIERI

Biography and Style Thomas Pasatieri was born in New York on October 20, 1945. He began piano lessons at a very young age, and was a skilled performer by the time he was ten. Pasatieri studied composition with Nadia Boulanger as a teenager. Pasatieri entered Julliard with a composition scholarship at sixteen, where he studied composition with Vittorio Giannini and Vincent Persichetti. He also studied with Darius Milhaud at Aspen, where Pasatieri won the Aspen Festival Prize for his opera, The Women, at age 19. Pasatieri is a prolific opera composer, having written 22 operas to date. His most recent opera, The Family Room, had a first reading in December of 2009. He has composed many works for chorus, various instrumental pieces, and more than 400 songs. The songs have been performed and recorded by distinguished artists, including Janet Baker, Thomas Hampson and Frederica von Stade, among many others. Recordings of Pasatieri’s works are numerous, and most are on Albany Records. Pasatieri taught composition at the Julliard School, the Manhattan School of Music and the Cincinnati College-Conservatory. From 1980 until 1984, he held the position as Artistic Director of the Atlanta Opera. After ending the post in Atlanta, Pasatieri moved to Los Angeles where he created the film music production company, Topaz Productions. He wrote the film score for American Beauty, The Shawshank Redemption, Fried Green Tomatoes, The Road to Perditions, The Little Mermaid and

314 Scent of a Woman, among others. Currently, Pasatieri resides in Connecticut, where he continues to perform and compose. Pasatieri’s compositional style is neo-Classical, marked by primarily symmetric forms and balanced phrasing. His songs are tonal. He uses striking effects for the piano to depict the drama of the text. His songs have textural transparency between the piano and voice, which allows the text declamation to be clear. Pasatieri chooses well-regarded poetry for his songs, including Shakespeare, Christina Rossetti, Emily Bronte, and Walt Whitman. Pasatieri writes moderately long phrases with arching melodic contours. Many of his songs are for moderate to advanced singers, although he does have songs suitable for young voices. His songs are melodious and lyrical, and the phrase shapes and lengths are very graceful. When appropriate to the text, Pasatieri displays a great deal of wit through rhythmic and motivic devices. The songs are melodically dominant. He includes many preludes, interludes and postludes in the piano. The piano accompaniment responds to the vocal melody with frequent interjections between vocal phrases.

Song Annotations Two Shakespeare Songs. Texts by William Shakespeare. Published in 1970 by Southern Music Publishing. 1. Parting. Dedicated to the composer’s parents. Range: e1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The

315 piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases. The piano part doubles the vocal line for much of the song. The song is tonal and brief. This song would be an excellent piece for a young singer. 2. That Time of Year, Sonnet 13. Dedicated to Jennie Tourel. Range: c-sharp1 – fsharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano part is moderately difficult. The tempo is very slow, and the meter shifts regularly. Both piano and voice have many running sixteenth notes.

Three American Songs. Texts by Louis Phillips. Published in 1971 by Southern Music Publishing. Recommended for medium voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Boundaries. Dedicated to Robert Holton Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is brief, the piano accompaniment is sparse, and the voice has many running sixteenth notes. The text is on love’s boundaries. 2. Haiku. Dedicated to Evelyn Lear. Range: d-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There is syncopation and text painting in the voice. The piano accompaniment is sparse. The vocal melody is angular and fragmented. 3. Critic’s Privilege. Dedicated to Evelyn Mandac. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is an idealist’s brief view of love. The song is short. The tempo is marked ‘allegretto buffo.’ The piano doubles the voice for much of the song.

316 The vocal phrases are short and fragmented. Three Coloratura Songs. Published in 1971 by Southern Music Publishing. Excellent songs for beginning coloratura voices. Recommended for coloratura soprano. 1. Miranda-Miranda. Dedicated to the composer’s sister, Frances. Range: e-sharp1 – d3. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a story about a young girl’s life choices. Much of the melismatic material is underscored by text painting. The song is lengthy and vocal stamina is needed. 2. Lear and His Daughters. Dedicated to the composer’s sister, Jo Ann. Range: g1 – d3. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a story of a father and his daughters, and it is filled with vivid imagery. The piano accompaniment is sparse, so as to highlight the melismatic vocal part. 3. Love’s Emblems. Dedicated to Sheri Greenawald. Range: d1 – b2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The tempo is fast. This is the lowest tessitura of the cycle. There is syncopation in the voice. The piano does not double the voice, but is harmonically supportive.

Three Poems of James Agee. Texts by James Agee. Published in 1974 by BellwinMills Publishing. Dedicated to Shirley Verrett. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. How Many Little Children Sleep. Range: d-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is

317 moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on children growing up to go to war. The vocal phrases have arching contours and regular lengths. The text is set syllabically. The piano doubles the voice in places. The song is tonal with dissonance and chromaticism. 2. A Lullaby. Range: c-sharp1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with chromaticism. The vocal line has syncopated rhythms. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice in places, and the melody is dominant. The text is about the fleeting innocence of youth. 3. Sonnet. Range: e-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is filled with dark imagery of death. There are shifting meters throughout, and piano and voice both have complex rhythmic units. The piano accompaniment grows increasingly dense and colorful in the second half of the song. The song is tonal with dissonance and chromaticism.

Three Poems by Kirstin Van Cleave. Texts by Kirstin Van Cleave. Published in 1980 by Bellwin-Mills. Recommended for mezzo-soprano or soprano. Should be sung as a set. 1. a night of love. Range: c-sharp1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal with some chromaticism. The tempo quickens and the rhythmic units become

318 shorter in the middle of the song. There are many meter shifts. The text is on fear of falling in love. 2. you know. Range: c-sharp1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a poignant, intimate account of unrequited love. The text requires a mature singer. The vocal phrases are long, and they common contain sustained high pitches. The piano doubles the vocal line and has multiple-voice counterpoint. This is a passionate, moving song. 3. Five Me Then Your Hand. Range: c1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on a forbidden desire of love; the text requires a mature singer. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The piano accompaniment doubles the voice, and it is very dense in texture. The voice has complex rhythms and syncopations.

Agnes. Text by Paul Enos (age 9). Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to all future American poets. Range: c1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium male voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a humorous anthem to a child’s mule. The meter shifts regularly and there are running eighth notes in both piano and voice. A very charming, funny song.

Beautiful the Days. Text by Kirstin Van Cleave. Published in 1980 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Linda Phillips. Range: c1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. Recommended

319 for high voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on the potential pain of love. The voice and piano are lyrical, with long phrases and memorable melody lines. The voice has many wide leaps, and the voice is doubled by the piano accompaniment. A short, sweet song.

Dirge for Two Veterans. Text by Walt Whitman. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Robert Shiesley. Range: c-sharp – g-flat1. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The piano and voice both have complex rhythmic units. The text is on the death of soldiers and is a statement against war. The song is lengthy and requires vocal stamina. There are many melismatic passages in the vocal line.

Discovery. Text by Anne Howard Bailey. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Muriel Boverman. Range: e-flat1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for high voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on an unspoken love. There is much coloratura in the vocal part. The piano accompaniment also has complex rhythms. Ensemble may pose a problem. There is text painting, and the song grows to a climax at the end.

Instead of Words. Text by Gerald Walker. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Joanna Simon. Range: d-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano

320 accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a plainly sentimental description of saying, “I love you” to a lover. The song is short and in a rounded binary form. The voice has disjunct passages. The song is tonal with some chromaticism.

Lullaby for a Lost Child. Text by Josephine Schillig. Published in 1977 by BellwinMills. Dedicated to Robert Jacobson. Range: e1 – e2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium female voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is a lullaby for a dead baby; a mature singer is necessary. The vocal phrases are long and arching in contour. The piano accompaniment doubles the vocal melody and has arpeggiations in eighth notes throughout.

Ophelia’s Lament. Text by William Shakespeare; adapted from Hamlet. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Joan Patenaude. Range: e-flat1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is long and has quasi-recitative and aria passages. Stamina is needed in the singer and pianist. The piano has a substantial prelude and several interludes. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism.

Reflection. Text by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Gerard Souzay. Range: e1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The vocal phrases are long and arching. The piano doubles the voice for much of the song. The piano has a thin texture, with low sustained notes in the bass. The

321 song is tonal and brief.

The Harp that Once Through Tara’s Halls. Text by Thomas Moore. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Beverly Sills. Range: e-flat1 – d-flat3. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There is much 3-part counterpoint in the accompaniment. The voice is filled with melismatic coloratura work. There is much text and text painting, and diction may be a significant problem.

The Kiss. Text by Martin Dulman. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Catherine Malfitano. Range: e1 – a2. The tessitura is high. Recommended for coloratura soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the first kiss of two lovers. The voice contains many coloratura passages. The piano accompaniment has complex rhythmic figures simultaneously with the coloratura passages; this may cause ensemble issues.

These are the Days. Text by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Mark Howard. Range: d-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the return of summer and has much natural imagery. The vocal phrases are of moderate length and there are sustained high pitches. The piano doubles the voice often. The tempo is andante, and the dynamics shift regularly. The voice has syncopation, particularly at the beginnings of phrases.

322 Vocal Modesty. Text by Gerald Walker. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Joanna Simon. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. This witty text is a humorous description of a singer’s love of her voice. The tempo is allegro and the meter is 3/4. The vocal phrases are short and are doubled by the piano.

Winter’s Child. Text by Martin Dulman. Published in 1977 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Justin Blasdale. Range: e-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about a discovery of oneself and the desire to be loved. The vocal phrases are lengthy and lyrical. The song is tonal with some chromaticism. The piano accompaniment provides rhythmic momentum and doubles the voice in places. The voice melody has arpgeggiated chords.

As in a Theatre. Text by William Shakespeare. Published in 1980 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to John V. Shea. Range: d-flat1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is from Richard II. The song is tonal with some chromaticism. The voice is doubled by the piano. There are many triplet figures. Phrases in the piano and voice are long with arching contours. The tempo is moderate and has only minor adjustments throughout the song.

323 Overweight, Overwrought over You. Text by Sheila Nadler. Published in 1980 by Bellwin-Mills. Range: c-flat1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is humorous and is from the point of view of a jilted lover who eats to cope with the loss. The song is tonal with progressions similar to popular music. The song requires excellent acting abilities.

To Music Bent is my Retired Mind. Text by Thomas Campion. Published in 1980 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Rodney Godshall. Range: g-sharp – d2. The tessitura is low. Recommended for low voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The voice has quickly moving melismatic material throughout. The piano accompaniment also has melismatic material, and doubles the voice; the piano part consistently has 3-part counterpoint.

There Came a Day. Text by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1980 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Rodney Godshall. Range: b – e-flat1. The tessitura is low. Recommended for low voice. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano and voice are lyrical. The voice has wide leaps and some unexpected harmonies. The piano has multiple-voice counterpoint. The text has religious overtones.

The Verandahs. Text by Kenward Elmslie. Published in 1980 by Bellwin-Mills. Dedicated to Judith Cristin. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate.

324 Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is abstract images of things found in a verandah. There are many coloratura passages in the voice. The melismas in the voice are doubled in the piano. The voice has several trills indicated in the score.

Day of Love. Text by Kirstin van Cleave. Published in 1983 by Schirmer. Dedicated to Frederica von Stade. Range: b – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. Composed for mezzosoprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piece is long and has substantial dramatic content. The text is about a woman falling in love with a man and traces the course of the relationship until the love dies. The piano accompaniment has a prelude, a postlude and several lengthy interludes. The harmonies are lush, and the texture is dense throughout. The voice has much coloratura.

Three Sonnets from the Portuguese. Texts by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Published in 1984 by G. Schirmer. Dedicated to Mrs. Duane Lansing Peterson. Recommended for medium voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Range: c-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the parting of two lovers physically, but not emotionally. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The piano harmonically supports the voice. The voice has unusual phrase lengths and shapes. The piano has a prelude and postlude. 2. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano

325 accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is lento and there are many meter shifts throughout the song. The text is on an emotionally unsatisfied lover; a mature singer is necessary. The voice grows increasingly melismatic and the piano part doubles the voice. 3. Range: c-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on the reflection of past loves. The voice has long phrases with sustained high pitches. The piano has many arpeggiations of chords followed by block chords with extended harmonies. The song is tonal with dissonance and chromaticism.

Three California Songs. Texts by Robert H. Deutsch. Published in 1989 by G. Schirmer. Dedicated to Marvellee Cariaga. Recommended for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Brother. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a description of a person’s behavior to accommodate others; a mature singer is necessary. There is much melismatic material in the vocal and piano parts. The text is set exquisitely, and the vocal phrases vary in length and shape according to the text. The tempo is allegro and the song is tonal with much dissonance. 2. Song. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is about a person’s inner turmoil, and there are religious undertones. The meter shifts regularly, and there are complex rhythmic units in the piano and voice. The piano harmonically supports the vocal

326 line well. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The texture becomes very dense in passages. The song is very intense. 3. The Middle-Aged Shepherd. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about a person wearing his heart on his sleeve. There are many words, and many of the words are of an advanced vocabulary. The text may prove problematic for the singer and for comprehensibility. The tempo is fast. The meter shifts every few bars and the rhythmic motives in the piano and voice are highly complex. The texture is very dense. The song is highly dramatic.

Three Poems of Theodore Ramsay. Texts by Theodore Ramsay. Published in 1989 by G. Schirmer. Dedicated to Gregory Rail, Donna Rail and Michael Krobatsch. Recommended for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Love. Range: c-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with rich, romantic harmonies. The piano has a substantial prelude and becomes more complex rhythmically and harmonically throughout the song. The voice has long, lyrical phrases. The text is full of imagery, and there is text painting. 2. Remembering. Range: e-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a reflection on an ended love. The vocal part has much syncopation. The piano doubles the voice. The piano has several voices of counterpoint. The tempo is moderate and the song is cantabile in both piano and voice.

327 3. On Parting. Range: c-sharp1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on mourning the loss of love. There is much imagery of nature. The text setting is sensitive and the piano is harmonically supportive of the voice. The vocal phrases are long, and the melody is disjunct. The song is tonal, and there is chromaticism in the middle of the song at the climactic point. A very poignant song.

Vocalise. The song has no text and no prescribed vowels. Published in 1989 by G. Schirmer. Dedicated to Martha Toney. Range: c1 – c3. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment supports the vocal line, and, at times, doubles the voice. The voice has many coloratura passages. The rhythms are complex and changing. The vocal phrases are of various lengths. Superb vocal agility is required.

Alleluia. Text is a Medieval Latin chant; English text by Thomas Pasatieri. Published in 1991 by Theodore Presser. Dedicated to Thomas Hampson. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a celebration of the birth of Jesus. The song is tonal with some chromaticism. The meter is 6/8, and the tempo is moderate. The voice and piano are lyrical. There is much melismatic motion.

Sieben Lehmannlieder. Texts by Lotte Lehmann. Published in 1991 by Theodore Presser. Dedicated to Gregory D. Hanlon. Composed for soprano and piano. A

328 subsequent version for soprano and orchestra is available. The texts are in German. The songs should be performed as a cycle. 1. Ich gin allein auf Bergesgipfeln. Range: e-flat1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal and has lush, romantic harmonies. The vocal melody is supported harmonically by the piano part. The voice has long, lyrical phrases that are disjunct. Both the piano and voice contain much syncopation. The text is a description of the solitude of a woman on a mountain peak. The melodic phrase shapes depict the text well. 2. Wie lieb’ ich diese klare Stunde. Range: e-flat1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The vocal and piano parts form a partnership in musical importance. Motivic ideas are developed throughout the song in the voice and piano. The piano and voice are lyrical. The text is a descriptive narrative about nature at the hour of twilight. 3. So hört’ ich wieder deiner Stimme. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is very slow, and the vocal phrases are long. There is much arpeggiation in the vocal melody, and excellent breath control is necessary. The piano accompaniment has short motives that are developed throughout the song. The text is about the memory of the sound of an old lover’s voice. 4. In Flammen starb dein Bild. Range: e-flat1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is very fast. The vocal melody has irregular phrase lengths and shapes, and it has many

329 articulation markings. The piano accompaniment has running sixteenth-note patterns throughout. The text is full of imagery of nature burning as a metaphor for a love that ended badly. 5. Wie schön ist dieser tiefe Schlummer. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The tempo is slow and fluid. The piano accompaniment has oscillating motion in the middle voices of four-voice counterpoint. The vocal melody has long, arching phrase contours. The text is set syllabically. The text is about restful sleep during the month of July. 6. Narzissus (Auf ein Bild). Range: e1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is very dramatic, and the style shifts between quasi-recitative and arioso styles. The tempo shifts often, and the articulations and dynamics are clearly notated. The piano accompaniment has many extended, block chords with colorful harmonies. The voice is highly independent of the piano accompaniment. The text is full of romantic images of nature. 7. Die Welt scheint ganz aus Glut gesponnen. Range: c-sharp1 – b2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromatic motion in the piano and voice. The vocal phrases are long and have sustained high pitches. The text recalls the images of color throughout nature and the calming of a jilted lover’s nerves.

Three Poems of Oscar Wilde. Texts by Oscar Wilde. Published in 1999 by Theodore

330 Presser. Dedicated to Thomas Hampson. Composed for baritone voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Helas. Range: c – e1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is on the regrets about love. Diction could be a challenge, as there is much text set syllabically in a high tessitura. The piano accompaniment has a thick texture with colorful harmonies. There are meter shifts, clearly marked dynamics and phrases, and several adjustments of tempo. 2. The Harlot’s House. Range: A – f1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Both the piano and voice are rhythmically complex. The texture is dense, and there is much chromaticism. The text has many words, and the setting is primarily syllabic. The piano does not double the voice, but supports it harmonically. The tempo is fast, and the phrases are long. 3. Requiescat. Range: c-sharp – e-flat1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the death of a young man’s lover. The tempo is very slow with long, sustained phrases. The vocal melody is very lyrical. Most of the song has very muted dynamics in the piano and voice.

A Rustling of Angels. Published in 2003 by Theodore Presser. Composed to be used in various groupings in recitals. Appropriate for young singers. 1. How Sweet the Answer. Text by Thomas Moore. Dedicated to Sheri Geenwald.

331 Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is tonal with a few unexpected harmonies. The voice has lyrical phrases with regular lengths. The piano accompaniment has a unifying motive throughout. Moderate tempo in a minor mode. 2. I Saw. Text is anonymous. Dedicated to Martin Katz. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for mezzo-soprano. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal and has a quick tempo. The voice has syllabically set text. The text is light and comic. 3. What Would I Give. Text by Christina Rossetti. Dedicated to Janice Townsend. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is easy. The form is a rounded binary. The piano has sustained block chords throughout. The voice has short, regular phrases. The song is tonal, in a minor mode. 4. Gather Ye Rosebuds. Text by Robert Herrick. Dedicated to Marilyn Horne. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The meter is a fast 9/8. Both piano and voice have ascending, scalar patterns. The song is tonal with a few unexpected harmonies. The text is upbeat and about fleeting youth. 5. At the Moated Grange. Text by William Shakespeare. Dedicated to Marlena Kleinman. Range: e-sharp1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano

332 accompaniment is moderate. The text is commonly known as “Take, O! take those lips away.” There is an alternate, more difficult vocal part in the middle of the song. The piano doubles and supports the voice well. The tempo is quick and the mode is minor. 6. Love’s Philosophy. Text by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Dedicated to Chloe Owen. Range: e1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal in a minor mode. The piano harmonically supports the vocal line. The vocal line has arching phrases of regular lengths. The text is on an unrequited love. 7. Green Grow the Rushes. Text by Robert Burns. Dedicated to Barbara Karp. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is tonal, with mainly diatonic chords outlined in the piano and voice. The text is a humorous story of a man’s relationship with women. The voice has regular, arching phrases. The tempo is moderate. 8. Art. Text by Herman Melville. Dedicated to Grady Harp. Range: e1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is tonal. The text is on the pairings of seemingly opposite traits that create beauty. The vocal phrases are short fragments. Both piano and voice are based on a short melodic motive. The text setting brings out the natural speech rhythms. 9. The Revelation. Text by Coventry Patmore. Dedicated to Armando Lizardi.

333 Range: e-flat1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for soprano. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about how men fall in love. The tempo is quick. The piano accompaniment has short, detached rhythmic motives juxtaposed with quick, scalar patterns. The vocal phrases are more sustained than the piano, and the text is set syllabically. 10. Echo. Text by Christina Rossetti. Dedicated to Richard Stilwell. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on a memory of a past love. This is the most dramatic song of the cycle. The vocal phrases are of differing lengths to match the text. The text is set syllabically. The piano accompaniment does not double the voice, but supports it harmonically and rhythmically. 11. The Old Stoic. Text by Emily Bronte. Dedicated to Warren Jones. Range: eflat1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is about wishing to be free forever of romantic love. The tempo is fast. The piano and voice are independent. Comprehensibility could pose a problem because of the separation of textual ideas with rests in the musical setting. A very unusual song. 12. Beneath the Cypress Shade. Text by Thomas Love Peacock. Dedicated to Ashley Putnam. Range: e1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium high voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the regret of a scorned lover.

334 The song has lush, romantic harmonies. Momentum is created in triplet figures in the left hand of the piano. The vocal phrases have arching contours.

Dream Land. Text by Christina Rossetti. Published in 2006 by Subito Music. Dedicated to CoCo. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a lullaby. The vocal phrases are regular and arching in contour. The text is set syllabically with some sustained high pitches. There is syncopation in the voice and piano. The piano harmonically supports the voice, but does not double the vocal melody. There are some wide leaps in the voice.

I Just Love My Voice. Text by Gerald Walker. Published in 2006 by Subito Music. Dedicated to Joanna Simon. Range: c1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is humorous, and requires good comedic acting skills. This song would make a good final song or encore on a recital.

Orpheus. Text by William Shakespeare. Published in 2006 by Subito Music. Dedicated to John Ostendorf. Range:d-flat1- f2. The tessitura is moderately high. Recommended for medium voices. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piece has a moderate tempo with rhythmically complex passages in the voice and piano. The voice has several short melismas. The melody is charming and lilting. The piano accompaniment rhythmically supports, and, at times, doubles the vocal melody.

335 The Last Invocation. Text by Walt Whitman. Published in 2006 by Subito Music. Dedicated to Delilah. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium female voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The text is a non-specific account of love. The song is in triple meter, and the tempo is marked ‘Allegretto fluido.’ The text is set syllabically, and there are not many wide leaps. There are sustained high pitches in the voice.

Lady MacBeth. Text by William Shakespeare. Published in 2009 by Theodore Presser. Dedicated to Lauren Flanigan. Range: c1 – b-flat2. Tessitura is wide. Composed for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text requires a mature singer. The piece is of substantial length, and it requires stamina in the vocalist and pianist. The voice has melismatic passages and sustained passages. The voice has many wide leaps and much text, making diction a potential problem. The piece is tonal with many dissonances and chromatic passages.

336 CHAPTER XXIV ANDRÉ PREVIN

Biography and Style André Previn, born in 1929, is of Russian Jewish heritage. He left Germany in 1938 with his family to escape the Nazi regime, and they eventually settled in Los Angeles. Previn became a naturalized citizen of the U.S. in 1943. After graduating high school, he worked as a professional pianist, often playing jazz and popular music. In 1948, Previn first began working as a composer and arranger of film scores in Hollywood. During the 1950’s, he collaborated with such artists as Dinah Shore, Benny Carter and Julie Andrews. In the 1960’s, Previn began his career as a conductor, eventually leading such orchestras as Houston Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and Los Angeles Philharmonic. He has appeared as guest conductor with Boston Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Vienna Philharmonic. Previn regularly collaborates on song recitals, chamber ensembles and jazz ensembles. Previn has a wide range of compositional genres. He composes extensively for film, with over 20 film scores. He also has many jazz compositions for various ensembles. He composes for orchestra, piano, chamber ensemble, and incidental music for plays. He has written numerous choral pieces, solo songs and two operas, including his latest opera, Brief Encounter, which premiered at Houston Grand Opera in 2009. Previn has received four Academy Awards for his compositions. He has also received several Grammy awards for recordings of his compositions. He was awarded

337 the Austrian and German Cross of Merit. Previn has received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Kennedy Center, the London Symphony Orchestra, Gramophone Classic FM, and, most recently, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Previn also was awarded the Glenn Gould Prize. The style of Previn’s vocal works varies from song to song. He has only 13 published vocal works, and the repertoire ranges in difficulty level for singer and pianist from moderate to difficult. The songs are not for inexperienced or young performers. Previn’s songs are tonal with generous amounts of dissonance and chromaticism. The vocal melodies take precedence over the accompaniments, which typically do not double the vocal part. The texts are generally set syllabically, and diction poses a problem at times, particularly in the songs with high tessituras. The general mood of the poetry is portrayed in the music without specific text painting. Previn’s vocal melodies are lyrical, and they often contain sustained high pitches and lengthy phrases. The piano accompaniments vary in style from dense and agitated to sparse and flowing, depending on the text. There are frequent metrical shifts and complex rhythmic units in the piano and voice. Previn’s songs are charming and present technically demanding challenges for moderately accomplished to accomplished singers.

Song Annotations Five Songs. Texts by Philip Larkin. Published in 1978 by G. Schirmer. Dedicated to Dame Janet Baker. Composed for mezzo-soprano. 1. Morning Has Spread Again. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult.

338 The tempo is fast and the meter changes frequently. The vocal line has some chromaticism; it is lyrical, with arched phrases. The piano accompaniment has running eighth notes under the voice that supports the vocal melody. The text is on dreaming about loving someone. The harmonies and inflected coloration in the voice and piano are reminiscent of Debussy’s style. 2. Home is So Sad. Range: d1 – f2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the emptiness of a home that was once filled with a family. The tempo is slow. The piano accompaniment is sparse, and much of the vocal part is unaccompanied. The song is tonal with some dissonance and chromaticism. The meter fluctuates, and there are rhythmic complexities in the voice. 3. Friday Night in the Royal Station Hotel. Range: c1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano part has widely spaced chords with much dissonance. The vocal part is supported by the piano, but not doubled. The voice has syncopation and descending melodic lines. The text paints a picture of an empty hotel. 4. Talking in Bed. Range: d1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is moderate and the meter changes regularly. The piano and vocal parts have complex rhythmic units. The song is tonal with much chromaticism in the voice and piano. The text is about the emotional distance between two lovers and requires an emotionally mature singer. 5. The Trees. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult.

339 The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about the life cycle in trees and people. There is text painting. The piano accompaniment has quickly moving, repetitive rhythmic motives; the vocal melody is more sustained than the piano and takes precedence. The text is set syllabically; the vocal phrases are long, with sustained high pitches. Ensemble may be a problem.

Sallie Chisum Remembers Billy the Kid. Text adapted by Michael Ondaatje from a text by Walter Noble Burns. Published in 1996 by Chester Music Limited. Dedicated to Barbara Bonney. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piece is lengthy, and there are many changes in mood throughout. The voice has sustained high pitches in some sections, and jaunty rhythmic motives in other passages. The text is from the point of view of Sallie Chisum, who loved Billy the Kid. The piece is tonal with sections of dissonance and chromaticism. Overall, the piece is lyrical and full of arching phrases. The singer needs to have excellent acting abilities.

Three Dickinson Songs. Texts by Emily Dickinson. Published in 1999 by G. Schirmer. Dedicated to Renee Fleming. Composed for soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. As Imperceptibly as Grief. Range: e1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is on how the passing of time changes everything. The tempo is slow. The piano has an introduction, several substantial interludes and a postlude. The voice is set syllabically; diction may pose a problem due to the high tessitura. The song is

340 tonal with considerable chromaticism. The piano doubles the voice in places. At times, the vocal part is very exposed. 2. Will There Really Be a Morning? Range: d1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano plays an important role in this song; there are several interludes, a prelude and a postlude. The piano has eighth note triplet figures throughout. The rhythmic units of the voice and piano do not coincide, and ensemble may prove a problem. The rhythmic motion in the piano provides momentum for the more sustained voice. The vocal phrases are long and require excellent breath management. A lyrical, lovely song. 3. Good Morning Midnight. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano accompaniment has extended harmonies and passages of multiple-voice counterpoint. The song is brief. There are shifting meters, dynamics, articulations and tempi in the voice and piano. The song is tonal with extensive use of chromaticism. The text is on the coming of dawn, and is filled with metaphors of love. The voice has sustained phrases.

Four Songs. Published in 2004 by G. Schirmer. Dedicated to Anthony Dean Griffey. Composed for tenor. 1. Is It For Now. Text by Philip Larkin. Range: f-sharp – a-flat1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on fleeting happiness. There are many shifting meters throughout which

341 manipulates the sense of time. The vocal part has many sustained high pitches, and the voice is not doubled in the piano. The song is tonal with much dissonance and chromaticism. The form is rounded binary. A lyrical, straightforward representation of the text. 2. To Write One Song. Text by Philip Larkin. Range: d – g1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is tonal with unexpected harmonies and progressions. The accompaniment is sparse and thin in texture. The voice is highlighted through the texture of the accompaniment. The voice is set syllabically, and the melody outlines triads and seventh chords. The text is reflective in nature, as is indicated in the score. 3. Ad Infinitum. Text by William Carlos Williams. Range: c-sharp – a-flat1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on an unrequited love. The meter shifts regularly. The piano accompaniment is thin and the vocal melody is dominant. 4. The Revelation. Text by William Carlos Williams. Range: c – g-sharp1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about searching for the happiness of a dream. The piano is the most dense and agitated in this song out of the entire set. The meter shifts frequently, driven by the text. The piano doubles the voice in places. There are many wide leaps in the voice and sustained high pitches. The text setting is exquisite.

342 CHAPTER XXV GENE SCHEER

Biography and Style Gene Scheer was born in 1958. He is widely respected as a lyricist and song composer. Scheer earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the Eastman School of Music. After receiving his degrees, he won a scholarship to the University of Cologne and an International Rotary Scholarship to study in Vienna with Eric Werber at the Hochschule für Musik. As a lyricist, Scheer has collaborated with such composers as Jake Heggie and Tobias Picker. Scheer’s lyrics for operas, song cycles and individual songs are highly acclaimed. Only recently did he begin allowing his own vocal compositions to be performed. Singers such as Renee Fleming, Denyce Graves, Sylvia McNair, Jennifer Larmore and Nathan Gunn have performed Scheer’s songs. Scheer’s song, American Anthem, was performed at the White House, the Smithsonian Institute, and on a Ken Burn’s documentary. His song, Christmas Once More, was performed on national television, and a choral version of the song was commissioned in 2003, due to its popularity. Because Scheer writes his own texts, the music and the lyrics are uniquely married. He uses his knowledge as a singer and lyricist to compose songs that heighten the sentiment of the text. Scheer’s songs are not excessively technically difficult, many being appropriate for young or inexperienced singers. However, some of his songs have texts that require a mature singer due to sophisticated subject material. The tessituras of

343 his songs are generally moderate, and the piano accompaniments are not technically challenging. Scheer utilizes syncopation, swinging rhythms, and complex rhythmic motives in the piano and vocal parts of his songs. The songs are all tonal, some with more dissonance and chromaticism than others to musically illustrate the text. The voice part is given precedence in his songs, while the piano often doubles the voice and, or supports it harmonically. Scheer’s body of song literature is small, but is significant in its place in contemporary American song and deserves attention from collegiate scholars because of the frequency of professional singers performing it.

Song Annotations Christmas Once More. Text by Gene Scheer. Published in 1997 by Gene Ink Publications, available through Classical Vocal Reprints. Range: b-flat – d-flat2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium low voices. The vocal part is easy. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is tonal with simple chord progressions. The song is brief. The text is about the sentimentality of love in the Christmas season. The charming vocal melody has short, regular phrase lengths with few large leaps. The song is appropriate for young and inexperienced singers.

American Anthem. Text by Gene Scheer. Published in 1998 by Gene Scheer; available through Classical Vocal Reprints. Range: d-flat1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. Composed for high voice. The vocal part is moderately easy. The piano accompaniment

344 is moderate. The text is a patriotic hymn. The vocal part is set syllabically to regular phrase lengths and regular harmonic rhythm. The piano accompaniment has many block chords and supports the voice harmonically. This song is of modest length and would be appropriate for a patriotic function.

Voices from World War II. Texts by Gene Scheer. Published in 2000 by Gene Scheer; available through Classical Vocal Reprints. 1. Holding Each Other (Oswego, New York). Range: b-flat – g2. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for medium voice. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is tonal with harmonic progressions found in popular music. There is some chromaticism in the piano. The text is about how the war affected people at home in the United States. The vocal melody is not doubled in the piano, but is harmonically supported. 2. The German U-Boat Captain (Merchant Marine Ship, Gulf of Oman). Range: B-flat – g1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a story of how a German captain let American sailors go free. The text is in simple English, but the sentiment is touching. The piano accompaniment alternates between running sixteenth notes and a series of block chords. The voice has lengthy phrases with some short, melismatic passages and sustained high pitches. 3. At Howard Hawks’ House (Beverly Hills, California). Range: A-flat – f1. The tessitura is moderately low. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is

345 moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about two soldiers on leave in Beverly Hills. The tempo is marked as “Swing-feel” in the score. The piano has block chords interspersed with some syncopated rhythmic units between vocal phrases. The voice has syncopated rhythms and many triplet figures. There is much text and diction should be made clear. 4. Omaha Beach (Normandy). Range: A – f1. The tessitura is moderate. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with considerable chromaticism in the piano and voice. The text is about arriving at Omaha Beach and the carnage that occurred. The text requires an emotionally mature singer. The voice has complex rhythmic units throughout. The piano has a dense texture and supports the vocal line well. An emotionally intense song. 5. Morrison Shelter (London). Range: A-flat – a-flat1. The tessitura is wide. Recommended for baritone. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The song is tonal with some chromaticism and dissonance in piano and voice. The text is a vignette of a civilian mother and children during an air raid. The text requires an emotionally mature singer. The meter shifts periodically, and the building of dramatic intensity matches the musical intensity in the middle of the song. The text is set syllabically, and there is much of it.

346 CHAPTER XXVI RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS

Biography and Style Richard Pearson Thomas was born in 1954 and is a native of Montana. He attended the University of Southern California, and the Eastman School of Music. Currently, Thomas teaches at the Teachers College of Columbia University in New York City. He has taught at Yale University and the University of Central Florida. Thomas works extensively with young people. He is a composer-in-residence for the Gold Opera Project for Young Audiences in New York City. Thomas has created more than 85 operas with public school children in New York City through this organization. His involvement with this project has appeared on CBS’s The Early Show. Young Audiences in New York City received the National Medal of Arts, and President Clinton, praised Thomas’s work and commitment. Many leading groups throughout the United States, including the Boston Pops, Covent Garden Festival, Houston Grand Opera, Skylight Opera Theatre, and the Houston Grand Opera, have performed his works. Thomas regularly appears in concerts with accomplished singers, and his songs have been performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Kennedy Center. Thomas’s compositional style is a blend of post-modern classical, cabaret, musical theatre, and popular American music idioms. This style combination gives his songs a uniquely American sound, and creates a high level of accessibility for audiences, while maintaining a high level of difficulty for the performers.

347 Many of Thomas’s songs are set to his own lyrics. The texts of his songs range from darkly humorous to poignant. The texts are often sophisticated and require emotional maturity in the singer. The texts are given utmost importance and are highlighted through the music. The vocal parts are often technically difficult, covering wide tessituras, having sustained high pitches, lengthy phrases and disjunct melodic shapes. He utilizes melismatic passages periodically. Thomas develops rhythmic units in the piano and voice to create a sense of character. The accompaniments are often difficult, having complicated rhythmic motion and unexpected harmonic motion. At times, the accompaniments double the vocal parts, but are generally very supportive of the vocal melody. The accompaniments often span the entire keyboard. Thomas’s song repertoire is well constructed, and highly deserving of attention in collegiate institutions for study and performance.

Song Annotations Ladies of Their Nights & Days. Texts by Richard Pearson Thomas. Published in 1987 by Portage Press Publishing. Composed for mezzo-soprano. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. Windsor: The Queen Elizabeth Blues. Range: e-flat1 – f2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about the Queen’s daily life and is in a traditional blues. There is a lengthy, difficult piano interlude. The harmonies outline a blues scale.

348 2. London: The Shop Girl. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The singer must have a well-modulated speaking voice and good acting skills. Much of the song is spoken in rhythm with piano accompaniment. The singer is instructed to use a cockney accent. There is much syncopation in the voice and piano. The song is lengthy and has much text. 3. Vienna: Frau Winter. Range: b – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderately low. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano and vocal parts are very repetitive melodically and rhythmically. The text is from the point of view of a chided old woman. The rhythmic intensity builds throughout the song in the voice and piano. There is a small amount of spoken text. The song is tonal with few dissonances. 4. Genoa: Invitation. Range: a – d-flat2. The tessitura is low. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text requires a mature singer; the text is from the point of view of a prostitute. There is much syncopation in the voice and piano. The meter shifts frequently. The tempo is marked as “wasted, like a baracarolle gone wrong” in the score. 5. How Many Churches? Range: c1 – e2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The meter shifts regularly, and there are syncopated rhythms in the voice and piano. The voice has several sustained high pitches. The text is about visiting churches with a past lover; there is description of the churches, but love is the underlying theme. The piano and voice are very lyrical.

349 6. South of France: A Nun’s Life. Range: c1 – b-flat2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is humorous and is about nuns making wine. A small amount of text is in French, and there is a small amount of spoken dialogue. Excellent acting skills required. 7. Impossible Object. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song has many shifts in meter and much syncopation in the voice and piano. The tempo is moderately slow, and the vocal line has long phrases with sustained high pitches. The text is a melancholy declaration of the unwillingness to love. 8. Moscow: Comrade Alekseyevna Confesses. Range: b – a2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The tempo is slow and the style is a heavy marcato. The text is humorous with interwoven true sadness of a Russian woman wanting the freedom to shop at Woolworth’s. There are melismas in the voice and many running sixteenth notes in the piano. There are recitative-like sections and some spoken dialog in the voice. The very highest pitches of the song are sustained. 9. A Polish Quarter, Paris: Dimly Lit. Range: a-flat – f2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about hiding a Jewish woman in Poland during World War II, and the narrator and the Jewish woman in hiding were lovers. The text requires an emotionally mature singer. The tempo is marked as in a slow mazurka. The vocal line has many large leaps to navigate. 10. Seville: Spider Legs. Range: c1 – a-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is

350 difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. Both piano and voice are rhythmically complex. There is much syncopation and the meter shifts frequently. The text is about a flamenco dancer. The vocal part has many long melismas and sustained high pitches. The song is long and requires vocal stamina. 11. I Left You in Florence. Range: a – g-flat2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is about a woman leaving a man who loved her. The piano and vocal parts are rhythmically complex. The vocal line is very lyrical. The phrases are lengthy and have large intervallic leaps. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal line.

Far Off. Texts by Constantine Cavafy, with translations by Rae Dalven. Published in 1990 by Portage Press Publishing. Composed for tenor voice, but has been transposed for baritone. 1. Morning Sea. Range: e-flat – g-sharp1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The vocal melody is accompanied by one sustained chord for much of the song. The voice has long, lyrical phrases with some melismatic passages. 2. Body, Remember. Range: e – a1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. There is a segue from the first song to this song. The vocal melody has many syncopated motives in long, lyrical phrases. The piano accompaniment has swiftly moving,

351 highly repetitive rhythmic motives throughout the song. There is text painting in the voice. The text is on the memories of past lovers. An emotionally mature singer is necessary. 3. At the Café Entrance. Range: d – a1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a description of seeing a very desirable person at the entrance to the café. The text is set very well to the natural speech inflections. The piano accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal melody, and it doubles the voice in places. The vocal melody has highly disjunct passages, with wide leaps to navigate. The score is meticulously marked with dynamics, articulations, and tempi in the voice and piano. 4. One Night. Range: e-flat – a1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The piano and vocal parts are rhythmically complex. The meter shifts very frequently, as do the articulations, dynamics and mood of the song. The text is a description of making love, as remembered by a man many years after. Emotionally mature musicians are required. 5. In Despair. Range: d – a1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is a very poignant account of longing for a past lover. The text is from the point of view of a homosexual man, whose lover was ashamed of being homosexual. This song requires an emotionally mature singer. The voice has unaccompanied sections, melismatic passages, complex rhythmic motives, and irregular phrase lengths and shapes. 6. Far Off. Range: e-flat – a1. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult.

352 The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is on the distant memory of a lover. The piano part consists of strummed chords. The vocal melody is primarily unaccompanied, and is rhythmically very free. The song is tonal with chromaticism. There are several melismas in the voice. The song is very succinct.

At Last, to be Identified. Emily Dickinson. Portage Press Publishing, 1992. For Soprano and piano accompaniment. 1. Doubt Me! My Dim Companion! Range b-flat – f2. The piano part is easy. The piano supports the voice and doubles the melody often. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty due to the long phrases. The phrases move in thirds commonly and are singable. The vocal line is primarily syllabic in text setting, with several long melismas. 2. What if I say I shall not wait! Range e1 – g2. The piano and vocal parts are both moderate in difficulty. Metrical shifts are rhythmic complexities are in both parts throughout the song. The vocal melody is disjunct, with wide leaps in places. 3. Wild Nights – Wild Nights! Range f1 – a2. Both piano and vocal parts are moderate in difficulty. The piano has intricate rhythms that are repeated, and the voice has a mix of syllabic text setting and neumatic. There are vocal phrases that are very lengthy. 4. I never saw a Moor. Ranged-flat1 – g2. Both piano and vocal parts are moderately difficult. The piano has growing rhythmically and harmonically complexities throughout the song. The voice has very long phrases covering a

353 wide tessitura. 5. There’s a certain Slant of light. Range c-sharp1- e-flat2. This is a very difficult song for voice because of the extent of unaccompanied sections. The piano does not have difficult notes or rhythms, but has a challenge in ensemble with the voice. 6. At last, to be identified! Range c1 – b-flat2. This is a very difficult song for voice and piano. The vocal part covers a very wide range and maintains a wide tessitura throughout. There are long phrases and large leaps throughout in the vocal line. The piano has complex harmonies in rhythms that grow more complex throughout the song. The piano is harmonically supportive of the voice, but the two parts are independent of each other.

Drum-Taps. Texts by Walt Whitman. Published in 1990 by Portage Press Publishing. Composed for baritone voice. Should be sung as a cycle. 1. O Tan-Faced Prairie Boy. Range: c – f1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The text is about a boy transitioning from civilian life to life as a soldier. The tempo is slow. The vocal melody has long, lyrical phrases with sustained high pitches. The vocal melody has complex rhythmic motives that are not doubled in the piano. The piano accompaniment has a sparse texture, with many chords having a wide range. 2. Beat! Beat! Drums! Range: c – g1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a passionate

354 description of the extent which war penetrates all aspects of life. The piano and voice have complex, intricate rhythmic motives. The song is tonal with much dissonance throughout. The vocal melody has many sustained high pitches. Both the piano and voice have many differing articulations that are clearly marked in the score. A very dramatic song. 3. A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray and Dim. Range: B-flat – e1. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The text is about directly witnessing casualties of war. The song requires mature performers. The tempo is slow and sustained. The meter shifts frequently to accommodate the text inflection. The piano accompaniment does not double the voice. Various articulations in the piano and voice help to illuminate the text. Several melodic motives return throughout the song in the voice and piano. 4. Dirge for Two Veterans. Range: B-flat – g1. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The text is a description of a burial march for a father and son, both fallen soldiers. The text is very poignant and passionate. Mature performers are necessary. The piano accompaniment plays an important role in portraying the funeral march. The vocal melody has sustained phrases that convey the grief associated with the deaths. 5. Vigil. Range: A – g1. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. The song is lengthy, and requires stamina in the singer. The text is an account of a comrade dying in battle, and

355 then the vigil the soldier holds for his comrade after the battle is finished. There is a lengthy piano interlude in the middle of the song, which signifies the vigil held by the soldier. The song is very complex musically and dramatically.

Aids Anxiety. Text by Richard Pearson Thomas. Published by Boosey & Hawkes in 1993 in the Aids Quilt Songbook. Dedicated to Will Parker. Range: b – f-sharp2. Tessitura is in a medium high register and gradually increases in pitch. Recommended for male middle voices. Can be performed as a trio, but may be performed as a solo. Voice part is moderately difficult; the piano accompaniment is also moderately difficult. There are several shifts in style throughout the lengthy song. The text is a humorous view of anxiety over how a person can contract AIDS.

Songs to Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay. Texts by Edna St. Vincent Millay. Portage Press Publishing, 1994. For soprano and piano. 1. The Road to Avrille. Range d1 – g2. The piano and voice parts are both easy. The piano has repetitious phrases with no complex rhythms or harmonies. The voice has extended phrases, but a manageable tessitura for a soprano or light lower voice. The melody is very lyrical. 2. To a Young Poet. Range d1- a2. The piano is moderate in difficulty. The harmonies of the piano are not complicated, however the seamless motion from tremolo to tremolo is difficult. The voice covers a wide range, and is required to leap seamlessly through large intervals. The voice is harmonically supported, but not doubled by the piano.

356 3. To One Who Might Have Borne a Message. Range d1 – a2. The piano and voice are moderate in difficulty. The piano has repetitive rhythmic figures, but must change keys quickly, and thus harmonies. The voice has long phrases that cover a wide tessitura. The voice is exposed at times because of the sparse piano. Rhythmical and metrical stresses are very true to normal speech inflection. 4. The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver. Range c1 – g2. The piano part is difficult. There are many passages that are simple in the accompaniment, but they are followed by rhythmic and harmonic gestures that are difficult. The vocal line is difficult because of the range, the large leaps within phrases, and the length of phrases. The length of the song also requires stamina from the singer. The song shifts between lyrical passages and more declamatory, recitative-like sections.

Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol Abridged and Condensed. Text by Charles Dickens. Portage Press Publishing, 1997. Composed in 1997 for John Muriello. Range F – d#2. For baritone. Vocally difficult with a moderately difficult accompaniment. Recitative, aria, and Sprechstimme throughout. It requires the vocal portrayal of nine different characters. The text setting is primarily syllabic. The accompaniment is harmonically supportive of the vocal line.

Ossessione: Songs Inspired by the “Arie Antiche.” Published by Portage Press Publishing in 1997. Composed for high voice. All texts are Italian. 1. Per La Gloria / Come raggio. Inspired by Bononcini and Caldara. Range: d1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The

357 piano accompaniment is moderate. The song is lengthy and requires vocal stamina. The vocal melody is dominant to the piano accompaniment. The piano accompaniment has several sections of multiple-voiced counterpoint. The vocal melody has unaccompanied sections. The voice has lyrical phrases and melismatic motion. 2. O del mio dolce ardor. Inspired by C.W. Gluck. Range: c-sharp1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately difficult. The piano accompaniment has much oscillating motion of arpeggiated triads. Syncopated lines occur in the voice and piano. The vocal melody has many long, sustained phrases, alternating with short, melismatic passages. The meter shifts regularly to accommodate the text inflection. 3. Amarilli, mia bella. Inspired by G. Caccini. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is moderate. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment requires the pianist to drum c and c1 on the strings with a rubber mallot throughout the song. The voice is marked as being free in terms of tempo. There are many triplet figures, melismatic passages, and shifting dynamics throughout the voice. The singer must have coloratura capabilities and an excellent sense of pitch. 4. Sebben, crudele. Inspired by A. Caldara. Range: e1 – g-sharp2. The tessitura is high. The vocal part is moderate. The piano accompaniment is moderate. The piano accompaniment has many block chords that give a strong sense of the beat. The voice has sustained, lengthy phrases that are accented by short, melismatic echoes of the final line of text. The middle section of the song grows in intensity through increased dynamics, increased rhythmic motion and a more dense texture

358 in the piano accompaniment. 5. Vittoria, mio core! Inspired by G. Carissimi. Range: d1 – a2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately easy. The song is lengthy, with highly dramatic intensity throughout in the piano and voice. The vocal melody contains a considerable amount of coloratura passages with unexpected turns in the phrases. 6. Caro mio ben. Inspired by G. Giordani. Range: f-sharp1 – g2. The tessitura is wide. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is difficult. There are many meter shifts throughout. The piano accompaniment carries a significant importance in this song, with a lengthy prelude and postlude. The vocal melody has very long, highly sustained phrases that require great stamina in the singer.

A Little Nonsense. Texts by Edward Lear. Portage Press Publishing, 1981. For high voice and piano. Appropriate for middle or light lower voices, male and female. 1. The Pobble Who Has No Toes. Range b – b2. The piano part is difficult with complex rhythmic figures, shifting meters, changing articulations, and extended harmonies. The vocal part is also difficult due to an extremely wide range, with a tessitura that covers that entire range. The text uses obscure words, so good diction is crucial. 2. Calico Pie. Range b-flat – g2. The vocal part is difficult. The piano part is difficult. The voice covers a wide range with many large leaps and a disjunct melody line set syllabically. The piano has some intricate rhythms and harmonies in the middle of the song.

359 3. The Owl and the Pussycat. Range a – b2. The vocal part is highly difficult. There is an extreme range, and many complex rhythmic motives, including many melismas. Flexibility and versatility are necessary in the voice. The piano part is difficult. The meter shifts throughout the song, and there are many notes for the pianist, with many close harmonies. The voice and piano are gestural with their rhythmic and harmonic figures.

Cabaret Songs, Volume 1. Texts by Richard Pearson Thomas. Portage Press Publishing, 2001. For High voice and piano, and has been transposed for medium voice. The songs cover a wide range, which may be sung by middle or light lower voices. Male or females may sing these songs. The songs are not appropriate for young singers due to the textual content. 1. My German Boyfriend. Range d1-e-flat2. Piano part is moderate with simple rhythms and harmonies. The vocal line is moderate in difficulty. There are several large leaps in the melody, but the tessitura is in a middle range, and the phrases are not lengthy. 2. How Many Churches? Range e1 – e2. The piano part is moderate. The piano is very simplistic at the beginning and end of the song, with added rhythmic and harmonic complexities in the middle. The vocal melody is simplistic throughout, however, the text of the song is not simplistic. The phrases are moderately long with shaping coming from several large leaps. 3. You Do Not Understand. Range d-flat1 – g-flat2. The song begins and ends simply, with growing energy and complexity through the golden mean. The vocal

360 line is difficult due to the unaccompanied sections at the beginning and end, and wide range it covers with many widely disjunct intervals. The piano is not technically difficult, but the execution of the clearly marked score is intricate. 4. It Doesn’t Matter. Range b-flat – f2. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. There are moderately difficult rhythms in the voice and piano. The tessitura in the voice is very large throughout the song. The piano is moderate in difficulty. The piano doubles the voice throughout much of the song. 5. When I Kiss You. Range d1 – a2. The vocal part is moderately difficult. The accompaniment is sparse, particularly at the beginning and end of the song. The lack of accompanimental support increases the difficulty of the voice. The vocal phrases are long and cover a wide range. The piano part is easy, but the sustained style is the challenge to perform. 6. I’m Yours! Range d1 – a2. The vocal part is difficult due to the wide range it covers and the leaps it must make. The piano is moderately difficult. There are many places that are not difficult for the pianist, but there are short phrases that are difficult to play at the correct tempo and align with the voice.

Cabaret Songs, Volume 2. Texts by Richard Pearson Thomas. Portage Press Publishing, 2003. For high voice and piano, and has been transposed for medium voice. The ranges of the songs could be appropriate for lighter low voices, too. Male or females may sing the songs. The songs are not appropriate for very young singers due to the sophistication of texts. 1. Just Another Hour. Range d1 – f2. The piano part is moderate in difficulty; it

361 has primarily block chords and arpeggios, but the range is wide and there is much motion throughout the piece. The voice part is difficult. The opening page of music is for unaccompanied voice. The piano provides much support for the vocal line throughout the middle and end of the song. The voice has lengthy phrases with a wide tessitura. 2. Damaged. Range c-sharp1 – g2. This is a very humorous song in a tango style. The text is not appropriate for young singers. The piano part is difficult due to the complex rhythms and extreme range of the keyboard that is required. There is a piano solo in the middle of the song. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. There is a wide range required and there are many large leaps within phrases. Also exists in duet form. 3. Why Can’t I Let You Go? Range b-flat – g2. The piano part is moderate in difficulty. The primary rhythmic pattern in the piano involves arpeggiated chords, however, there are other complex rhythms within the piano part. The vocal line is difficult due to the wide range that is required. A singer must have access to low notes, and be able to sustain long phrases above c2. The melody is flowing and simple. 4. When You Sang Your Songs. Range b – f-sharp2. The piano part is difficult due to the intricate eighth note patterns and the changing of keys throughout the song. The vocal line is also difficult due to the phrase length, range, and leaps required of the singer. The vocal phrases often start on the highest pitch of the phrase and descend over the course of the phrase. 5. The Thought of Him. Range b – f2. The piano part is easy. The piano part is

362 sparse, but phrasing must have attention, as well as proper articulation. The vocal part is moderate in difficulty. Throughout the piece the voice and piano build to the climax at the end. Tempo and dynamics increase until the end, which can be challenging for the singer. 6. Move into the Light. Range b – f2. The piano part is easy due to the sparseness of the part. However, the simplicity required exposes both the piano and vocal lines in a way that can be challenging for both. The vocal line is not rhythmically complex, but the phrases are long and the tessitura is wide. The text is set syllabically with rhythmic inflections adhering to natural speech inflections.

363 CHAPTER XXVII OPPORTUNITY FOR FURTHER STUDY

The history of American music has been researched and traced through many books, and the subject continues to be of interest in the musicological field. Within these historical analyses, song genres are not given much attention, but instead the overall development of the nation’s music is the focus. There are three influential sources for this project. Art Song in The United States 1801 – 1976: An Annotated Bibliography by Judith E. Carman, William K. Gaeddert and Rita M. Resch was published in 1976. American Art Song and American Poetry, volumes I, II, III published in 1981, 1984, and 1987 by Ruth C. Friedberg focuses on the relationships between songs and their poetry. Most recently, A Singer’s Guide to the American Art Song 1870 – 1980 by Victoria Villamil was published in 1993. These sources have served as models for this project. To provide a context for the included repertoire and composers, my next step for this project would be to include a brief historical overview of American song from the 19th through 21st century. This historical perspective would provide a framework out of which American art – including song – has grown. Although eclectic, the development of American song does run parallel to historical events of the country. The background and inherited traditions of past American song composers are relevant to contemporary composers and their songs. Eventually, I would like to turn this document into a published reference tool and searchable database. The catalog will include vital information for the quick selection of

364 songs, and the compiled information will be invaluable to singers and voice teachers searching for contemporary American literature. The composers included in this project will also benefit from the exposure of their work. There are, of course, many more composers whose songs are deserving of inclusion in this project. Annotated catalogs of larger scope or of differing perspectives should be created as further study.

365 APPENDIX A: PUBLISHED SONG LITERATURE ________________________________________________________________________ Composer & Titles

Poet

Date & Publisher

________________________________________________________________________ Dominick Argento Six Elizabethan Songs

1970 Boosey & Hawkes

Spring

Thomas Nash

Sleep

Samuel Daniel

Winter

Shakespeare

Dirge

Shakespeare

Diaphenia

Henry Constable

Hymn

Ben Jonson

From the Diary of Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf

1975 Boosey & Hawkes

e.e. cummings

1980 Boosey & Hawkes

The Diary Anxiety Fancy Hardy’s Funeral Rome War Parents Last Entry

Songs About Spring

366 who knows if the moon’s a balloon spring is like a perhaps hand in Just-spring in Spring comes when faces called flowers float out of the ground

Casa Guidi

Letters from

Casa Guidi

Elizabeth Barrett

The Italian Cook and the

Browning to her

English Maid

1984 Boosey & Hawkes

sister Henrietta

Robert Browning The Death of Mr. Barrett Domesticity

The Andrée Expedition

Journals & Letters

Part I: In the Air

of Saomon Andrée,

Prologue

Nils Strindberg,

The Balloon Rises

and Knut Fraenkel

Pride and Ambition Dinner Aloft The Unforeseen Problem Part II: On the Ice Mishap with a Sledge

1987 Boosey & Hawkes

367 The King’s Jubilee Illness and Drugs Hallucinations Anna’s Birthday Epilogue Final Words

Miss Manners on Music Prologue

Newspaper articles by

1998 Boosey & Hawkes

Judith Martin (Miss Manners)

Manners at a Concert Manners at a Ballet Manners for Contemporary Music Manners at a Church Recital Manners at the Opera Envoi

Daniel Asia Breath in a Ram’s Horn What Do We Know? Old Medals Prayer Shawls Job Longed for the Grave Rosh Hashana / Yom Kipper My Father’s Name

Paul Pines

1998 Presser

368 An E.E. Cummings Songbook

e.e. cummings

1998 Presser

Paul Pines

2002 Presser

quick i the death luminous tendril hair your a brook three wealthy sisters feather rain i'm asking when faces called flowers if a cheefulest swooning this (let’s remember) dying is fine blossoming are people two old if the the great advantage

Pines Songs II The Bal Shem Tov Brooklyn Fluid Mechanics I Shall Cook Me Bacon, Lord Let Us Consider

369 Pont L’Archiveche Where We Once Refused to Go You See My Old Wandering Jew

Robert Baksa Housman Songs

Housman

1967 Presser

When I was one and twenty When the lad for longing sighs On your midnight pallet lying Oh, sick am I to see you White in the moon Others, I am not the first Oh, fair enough are sky and plain If it chance your eye offend you Oh, when I was in love with you Think no more, lad Loveliest of trees

Seven Songs to the Poems

Dickinson

Of Emily Dickinson Much madness is divinest sense I took my power in my hand What inn is this I died for beauty

1977 Presser

370 The soul selects her own society A shady friend for torrid days I’m nobody

More Songs to the Poems of

Dickinson

1978 Presser

Emily Dickinson Two butterflies went out at noon Heart! We will forget him No matter-now-sweet Poor little heart! There’s a certain slant of light The morns are meeker When night is almost done Who robbed the woods This is my letter to the world

Three Portraits

Fenton Johnson

1996 Presser

Ambrose Pierce

2000 Presser

The Banjo Player The Drunkard The Minister A Cynic’s Cycle Business Allah’s good laws

371 To men Montefiore The Graverobbers Religion The Troutlet

Teasdale Songs

Sara Teasdale

2002 Presser

Dorothy Dow

2003 Presser

Emily Dickinson

2007 Presser

Advice to a Girl Did you Never know When Love Goes Portrait of Pierrot April Song

Dow Songs The Elusive Things To a Proud Lover To a Neglectful Lover To a Jealous Lover Recurrence To a New Lover

Letters from Emily

372 Nature, the gentlest mother is Going to Heaven Hope is the thing with feathers Dear March Sleep is supposed to be The rose did caper on her cheek A soul goes to heaven There came a wind like a bugle

Seymour Barab Four Songs

1955 Boosey & Hawkes

Go Lovely Rose

Edmund Waller

She’s Somewhere in the

Richard LeGallienne

Sunlight Strong Minstrel’s Song

Thomas Chatterton

I Can’t be Talkin’ of Love

Esther Matthews

Songs of Perfect Propriety Song of Perfect Propriety Now at Liberty Ultimatum Renunciation Inventory Social Note

Dorothy Parker

1959 Boosey & Hawkes

373 A Very Short Song One Perfect Rose Wisdom Men Lullaby Comment Symptom Recital The False Friends Love Song Indian Summer Somebody’s Song Song of One of the Girls Bric-a-brac They Part Chant for Dark Hours The Choice The Trusting Heart Coda

An Explanation

Walter Learned

1964 Boosey & Hawkes

A Maid Me Loved

Patrick Hannay

1964 Boosey & Hawkes

374 The Rivals

James Stephens

1971 Presser

The Daisies The Rose in the Wind The Hawk The Rivals

Parodies

Barab

1986 Boosey & Hawkes

I’ll Never go to Macy’s (Handel) Miss Lucy (Donizetti) I was Standing on the Corner (Wolf) Poor Old Lady (Moussorgsky) Charlie Chaplin (Duparc) Spanish Dancer (DeFalla)

Moments Macabres

Anonymous

Prelude Old Roger Down by the Greenwood Shady The Walk A Man of Words and not of Deeds Gypsies in the Wood Elegy for Frederick the Great Mama had a Baby

1995 ECS Publishing

375 Jack Beeson Five Songs

Francis Quarles

1954 Peer International Corp

On A Spiritual Fever A Good Night On the World Epigram On Death Calvinistic Evensong

John Betjeman

1962 Boosey & Hawkes

Big Crash Out West

Peter Viereck

1963 Galaxy Music Corp

Against Idleness and Mischief

Isaac Watts

1973 Boosey & Hawkes

Death by Owl-Eyes

Richard Hughes

1973 Boosey & Hawkes

Indiana Homecoing

Abraham Lincoln

1973 Boosey & Hawkes

To A Sinister Potato

Peter Viereck

1973 Boosey & Hawkes

The You Should of Done it Blues

Peter Viereck

1973 Boosey & Hawkes

Senex

John Betjeman

1979 Boosey & Hawkes

and In Praise of Labor

376

Eldorado

Poe

1982 Galaxy Music Corp

Cowboy Song

Charles Causley

1989 Galaxy Music Corp

Cat!

John Keats

1990 Boosey & Hawkes

Fire, Fire, Quench Desire

George Peele

1990 Boosey & Hawkes

From a Watchtower

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

Mutability

William Wordsworth

Ballad

W.H. Auden

Heaven-Haven

Gerard Manley Hopkins

Ballad

W.H. Auden

The Listeners

Walter de la Mare

Four Crazy Jane Songs

W.B. Yeats

1998 Boosey & Hawkes

Peter Viereck

1998 Boosey & Hawkes

Lullaby Crazy Jane Reproved Crazy Jane on God Her Anxiety

Mary Magdalene’s Song

377 Pull My Daisy

Allen Ginsberg

1998 Boosey & Hawkes

Two Millay Sonnets

Millay

1998 Boosey & Hawkes

I Shall Forget You Presently What Lips My Lips Have Kissed

A Tale Told By Mary’s Lamb

Peter Viereck

2003 Boosey & Hawkes

Hide and Seek

Peter Viereck

2003 Boosey & Hawkes

In the Public Gardens

John Betjeman

2003 Boosey & Hawkes

Three Blake Songs

Blake

2003 Boosey & Hawkes

I laid me down upon a bank Never seek to tell thy love I asked a thief

William Bolcom Cabaret Songs (Volumes 1 & 2) Over the Piano Fur (Murray the Furrier) He Tipped the Waiter Waitin’

Arnold Weinstein

1979 Edward B. Marks Music

378 Song of Black Max Amor Places to Live Toothbrush Time Surprise! The Actor Oh, Close the Curtain, George

Villanelle

Richard Tillinghast

1989 Edward B. Marks Music

The Junction, on a Warm Afternoon Howard Nemerov

Vaslav’s Song

Ethyl Eichelberge

I Will Breathe a Mountain Pity Me Not Because

1992 Edward B. Marks Music

1992 Edward B. Marks Music Edna St. Vincent Millay

the Light of Day How to Swing Those

1991 MarksPrint Music

Alice Fulton

Obligatos Around The Crazy Woman

Gwendolyn Brooks

Just Once

Anne Sexton

Never More Will the Wind

H. D.

The Sage

Denise Levertov

379 O To Be A Dragon

Marianne Moore

The Bustle in a House

Emily Dickinson

I Saw Eternity

Louise Bogan

Night Practice

May Swenson

The Fish

Elizabeth Bishop

Briefly It Enters

Jane Kenyon

1997 Edward B. Marks Music

Who The Clearing Otherwise February: Thinking of Flowers Twilight: After Haying Man Eating The Sick Wife Peonies at Dusk Briefly it Enters, and Briefly Speaks

Cabaret Songs (Volumes 3 & 4)

Arnold Weinstein

The Total Stranger in the Garden Love in the Thirties Thius, King of Orf Miracle Song Satisfaction

1997 Edward B. Marks Music

380 Radical Sally Angels are the Highest Form of Virtue Poet Pal of Mine Can’t Sleep At the Last Lousy Moments of Love Lady Love Blue

Lime Jello Marshmallow

Bolcom & Morris

2000 Hal Leonard

Cottage Cheese Surprise

Ancient Cabaret

Translations of

On a Statue of a Runner

Greek & Latin texts

Unlucky Eutichus

by Arnold Weinstein

2001 Edward B. Marks Music

Timomarchus’s Picture of Medea In Rome Praxiteles’ Aphrodite

From the Diary of Sally Hemings

Sandra Seaton

2001 MarksPrint Music

A Powerful Man

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

If I Ever Say I’m Over You

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

John Bucchino

381 In A Restaurant by the Sea

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

It Feels Like Home

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

Sepia Life

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

Sweet Dreams

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

Taking the Wheel

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

That Smile

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

The Song With the Violins

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

This Moment

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

Unexpressed

J. Bucchino

1996 Williamson Music

Tom Cipullo The Land of Nod The Land of Nod A Death in the Family Deer in Mist and Almonds On a 19th Century Color

Alice Wirth Gray

1994 Classical Vocal Reprints

382 Lithograph of Red Riding Hood by the Artist J.H. Climbing

2000 Classical Vocal Reprints

1

Phillis Wheatley & Robert Hayden

2

Countee Cullen

3

Countee Cullen

4

Langston Hughes

5

Robert Hayden

6

Paul Laurence Dunbar

7

Langston Hughes

How To Get Heat Without Fire

Kallet

2000 Classical Vocal Reprints

Why I Wear My Hair Long Saying Goodbye The Pocketbok How to Get Heat Without Fire

Another Reason Why

Billy Collins

I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House Desire Embrace Cancer Flames Putting Down the Cat

2001 Oxford

383 Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House

Late Summer

2001 Classical Vocal Reprints

Crickets

Heyen

1346

Dickinson

Touch Me

Kunitz

Glances

Agata Tuszynska

2002 Classical Vocal Reprints

Pastan

2005 Classical Vocal Reprints

Echo Impossible Unbroke Between Verses A Plea for Mercy Glance Echo 2

Drifts and Shadows Blizzard The Almanac of Last Things In Back of Subway

The Arithmetic of Alternation

384 Long Island Songs

Heyen

2005 Classical Vocal Reprints

Invocation The Odor of Pear The Nesconset Cricket The Crane at Gibbs’ Pond

John Corigliano Jack and Jill

William Hoffman`

1994 Schirmer

Dodecaphonia

Corigliano

1997 Schirmer

Mr. Tambourine Man

Bob Dylan

2000 Schirmer

A Prologue: Mr. Tambourine Man Blowin’ in the Wind All Along the Watchtower Chimes of Freedom Clothes Line Masters of War Epilogue: Forever Young

Irreverent Heart

Yip Harburg

2001 Schirmer

Marvelous Invention

Mark Adamo

2001 Schirmer

385 Shatter Me, Music

R.M. Rilke,

2003 Schirmer

Adapted by Mark Adamo

John Frantzen O Captain! My Captain!

Walt Whitman

2001 Frantzen Music Press

Four Frost Songs

Robert Frost

2006 Frantzen Music Press

The Pasture October The Vantage Point To the Thawing Wind

Zina Goldrich Alto’s Lament

Marcy Heisler

1996 The Marcy & Zina Company

Songbook Volume 1

Marcy Heisler

Apathetic Man Baltimore Beautiful You Boom, Boom Don’t You Be Shakin’ Your Faith in Me Faraway Fifteen Pounds

2003 The Marcy & Zina Company

386 Funny How the Love Gets in the Way Hola, Lola! How I Love You I Want Them… (Bald) The Last Song Let Me Grow Old Love Like Breathing Menemsha Moon The Morning After Music of Your Life Oh, How I Loved You Oh My Soul Out of Love Over the Moon R.S.V.P. Sing Your Own Song Taking Flight Taylor, the Latte Boy That’s All There Will Never Be Another Love There’s Nothing I Wouldn’t Do We Remember Love Welcome the Rain

387 Ricky Ian Gordon Genius Child

Langston Hughes

1993 Williamson Music

Gordon

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

Winter Moon Genius Child Troubled Woman Prayer My People Kid in the Park To Be Somebody Strange Hurt Border Line Joy

I Never Knew

A Horse With Wings

1995 Williamson Music

Once I Was

Gordon

Sweet Song

Gordon

Afternoon on a Hill

Millay

My Sister’s New Red Hat

Gordon

A Horse With Wings

Gordon

Air

O’Hara

Poem

O’Hara

The Lake Isle of Innisfree

Yeats

388 The Spring and the Fall

Millay

Souvenir

Millay

Coyotes

Underwood

The Red Dress

Parker

What Shall We Remember

Gordon

Will There Really

Dickinson

be a Morning? Sycamore Trees

Gordon

Fewer Words

Gordon

The Special Picnic

Gordon

Janet Underneath the Roses Gordon I am Cherry Alive

Schwartz

An Oldfashioned Song

Hollander

White Haired Woman

Gordon

Only Heaven Angel Wings Daybreak in Alabama Delinquent Demand Dream Dream Variations Drum

Langston Hughes

1997 Willliamson Music

389 Harlem Night Song In Time of Silver Rain Late Last Night Litany Luck Night: Four Songs Port Town Song for a Dark Girl Starts When Sue Wears Red

Late Afternoon

2001 Carl Fischer Music

Otherwise

Jane Kenyon

Willi, Home

Jean Valentine

X

Jean Valentine

Just Now

Marie Howe

What the Living Do

Marie Howe

Let Evening Come

Jane Kenyon

Songs of Our Time

2005 Carl Fischer Music

Virginia Woolf

James Schuyler

Friend

Jean Valentine

Little Horse

W.S. Merwin

390 Spell Against Sorrow

Kathleen Raine

The Light Comes on by

Frank O’Hara

Itself Pont Mirabeau

X.J. Kennedy after Apollinaire

A Poem of Unrest

John Ashbery

This Room

John Ashbery

If You Can

Howard Moss

Aspen Tree

Paul Celan, translated by Michael Hamburger

Three Floors

Stanley Kunitz

The Crazy Woman

Gwendolyn Brooks

Child

Sylvia Plath

Dreams / Feet o’ Jesus

Langston Hughes

Daron Hagen Echo’s Songs

1992 Schirmer

Never Pain to Tell Thy Love Blake I am not Yours

Teasdale

A Dream Within a Dream

Poe

Echo’s Song

Ben Jonson

I am Rose

Gertrude Stein

Lost

Carl Sandburg

Why did you go?

e.e. cummings

Since you went away

Shu Chi’siang, translated by Kenneth Rexroth

Thou Woulst Be Loved

Poe

391 Look Down, fair Moon

Whitman

The Mild Mother

Anonymous, 16th Century

Love Songs

1992 Schirmer

I am Loved

Gwen Hagen

Little Uneasy Song

Reine Hauser

Ah! Sun-Flower

Blake

Lost Love

Ze’ev Dunei

Washing Her Hair

Sarah Gorham

Requiem

Dunei

The Satyr

Gwen Hagen

Sonnet After a Story by

Gardner McFall

Oscar Wilde

Merrill Songs A Downward Look Body The Instilling On the Blick: Mantel Clock Vol XLIV, No. 3 Pledge An Upward Look

James Merrill

1995 Schirmer

392 Figments

Alice Wirth Gray

2002 Carl Fischer

Gravity Why We Have Cats The End of Daylight Savings Time Zoo Prepares to Adopt Metric System Lines After Marianne Moore Deer in Mist and Almonds The Poetry of Sausages: Morcilla

The Heart of the Stranger

2002 Carl Fischer

Symmetry

Codrescu

Evening Twilight

Baudelaire

It Weeps in My Heart

Verlaine

To Nobodaddy

Blake

Dawlish Fair

Keats

Under the Night Sky

Roberts

O, When I was in Love

Houseman

With You An Irony

Hagen

Specimen Case

Whitman

Song

Roethke

Larkin Songs

Philip Larkin

2002 Carl Fischer

393 1a Going 1b Coming 2 Interlude #1: Fiction and the Reading Public 3a None of the books have time 4a Within the dream you said 5 Interlude #2: To write one song, I said 6a Morning at last: there is snow 6b The White Palace

Letting Go

2002 Carl Fischer

A Suite of Appearances

Strand

Ferry Me Across the Water

Rosetti

Ghost Letter

McCann

I’ll sing a song to my love

Hagen

Prayer to Sparrow

Skinner

In Two Seasons The Second Law

Sandy

Psalm 150

New Testament

Love in a Life

2002 Carl Fisher

Love in a Life

Browning

Congedo

Alsadir

394 Ample Make this Bed

Dickinson

The Green for Pamela

Flint

The Waking

Roethke

Just Once

Sexton

Love

Lodge

Muldoon Songs

Muldoon

2002 Carl Fischer

Susan Griffin

2002 Carl Fischer

The Waking Father Thrush Blemish Mink Bran Vico Holy Thursday

Phantoms of Myself

I Wake Thinking of Myself as a Man A Story Confession Her Sadness Runs Beside Her Like a Horse Quiet, quiet heart Absence

395 I wake to your gestures…

Songs of Experience Youth, Day, Old Age,

2007 Burning Sled Music Whitman

And Night Amelia’s Song

Gardner McFall

Wisdom

Teasdale

Elegy for Ray Charles

Stephen Dunn

The Stranger’s Grave

Emily Lawless

Two Butterflies

Dickinson

John Harbison Mottetti di Montale

Eugenio Montale

1981 Associated Music

Mirabai

1983 Associated Music

1-20

Mirabai Songs

It’s True, I Went to the Market All I was Doing was Breathing Why Mira Can’t Go Back to Her Old House Where did you go? The Clouds Don’t Go, Don’t Go

The Flute of Interior Time

Kabir, Robert Bly

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

396 Simple Daylight

Michael Fried

1995 Associated Music

Japan Simple Daylight Somewhere a Seed Your Name The Wild Irises Odor

Flashes and Illuminations

2000 Associated Music

On the Greve

Eugenio Montale

Chemin de Fer

Elizabeth Bishop

The Winds of Dawn

Michael Fried

Cirque d’Hiver

Elizabeth Bishop

To be Recited to Flossie

William Charles Williams

On her Birthday December 1

North and South Book I: Ballad for Billie I Late Air Breakfast Song Book II: Ballad for Billie II Song

Czeslaw Milosz

Emily Bishop

2001 Associated Music

397 Dear, My Compass…

Milosz Songs

Milosz

2006 Associated Music

Prologue: from Lauda What Once Was Great So Little When the Moon An Old Woman Epilogue: from Winter Post-Epilogue: Rays of Dazzling Lights

Vocalism

Walt Whitman

2007 Schirmer

Emily Dickinson

1998 Schirmer

Jake Heggie The Faces of Love It makes no difference abroad I shall not live in vain As well as Jesus? At last, to be identified! If you were coming in the Fall

Sophie’s Song

Frederica von Stade

1998 Schirmer

Eve-Song

Philip Littell

1999 Schirmer

398 My Name Even Good Listen Snake Woe to Man The Wound The Farm

Natural Selection

Gini Savage

1999 Schirmer

Creation Animal Passion Alas! Alack! Indian Summer – Blue Connection

Songs and Sonnets to Ophelia The Spring is Arisen;

1999 Bent Pen Music Heggie

Ophelia’s Song Women have loved before

Millay

as I love now Not in a silver casket cool with pearls

Millay

399 Spring

Millay

Away in a Manger

traditional

2000 Schirmer

Danny Boy

Frederick Weatherly

2000 Schirmer

Dixie

traditional

2000 Schirmer

Encounter Tenor

John Hall

2000 Schirmer

Countertenor’s Conundrum The trouble with trebles in trousers… A Gift to Share

How Well I Knew the Light

Emily Dickinson

2000 Bent Pen Music

Ample Make this Bed The Sun Kept Setting

Of Gods and Cats

Gavin Geoffrey Dillard

2000 Schirmer

Frederica von Stade

2000 Schirmer

In the beginning… Once upon a universe

Paper Wings Bedtime Story

400 Paper Wings Mitten Smitten A Route to the Sky

Songs to the Moon

Vachel Lindsay

2000 Schirmer

Prologue: Once More Euclid The Haughty Snail-King What the Rattlesnake Said The Moon’s the North Wind’s Cooky What the Scarecrow Said What the Gray-Winged Fairy Said Yet Gentle Will the Griffin Be

Thoughts Unspoken

John Hall

2000 Schirmer

A Learning Experience Over Coffee You Enter My Thoughts To Speak of Love Unspoken Thoughts at Bedtime

Three Folk Songs Barb’ry Allen He’s Gone Away

traditional

2000 Schirmer

401 The Leather-Winged Bat

To Say Before Going to Sleep Rilke

2000 Schirmer

White in the Moon

Housman

The Moon is a Mirror

Vachel Lindsay

2000 Schirmer

2001 Bent Pen Music

The Strength of the Lonely What the Miner in the Desert Said The Old Horse in the City What the Forester Said What the Snowman Said

Grow Old Along with Me!

Robert Browning

Rise and Fall

2006 Bent Pen Music

Water Stone

Noguchi

Incantation Bowl

Gene Scheer

Angels Wings

Gene Scheer

The Shaman

Gene Scheer

Friendly Persuasions Wanda Landowska

2004 Bent Pen Music

Gene Scheer

2008 Bent Pen Music

402 Raymonde Linossier Paul Eluard

Lee Hoiby Tides of Sleep

Thomas Wolfe

Songs for Leontyne

1967 Boosey & Hawkes

1985 Southern Music Press

The Doe Evening Autumn Winter Song In the Wand of the Wind The Serpent

A Christmas Song

Jacques Mitchell

1987 Southern Music Press

The River-Merchant’s Wife

Rihaku

1987 Southern Music Press

Four Dickinson Songs

Dickinson

A Letter How the Waters Closed Wild Nights There Came a Wind Like a Bugle

1988 Souther Music Press

403 Goodby, Goodby World

Thornton Wilder

1988 Rock Valley Music

Lied der Liebe

Friederich Holderlin

1988 Rock Valley Music

Sonnett, 116

Shakespeare

1988 Rock Valley Music

Why Don’t You?

Robert Beers

1988 Rock Valley Music

Always it’s Spring

e.e. cummings

1990 Schirmer

An Immorality

Ezra Pound

1990 Schirmer

Christmas 1951

John Fandel

1990 Rock Valley Music

Daphne

Harry Duncan

1990 Rock Valley Music

Jabberwocky

Lewis Carroll

1990 Schirmer

Jean qui rit

Tennessee Williams

Lady of the Harbor

Emma Lazarus

1990 Schirmer

Love Love Today

Charlotte Mew

1990 Rock Valley Music

1990 Rock Valley Music

404 O Star

John Fandel

1990 Rock Valley Music

Pas dans mon Coeur

Marcia Nardi

1990 Rock Valley Music

She Tells Her Love

Robert Graves

1990 Schirmer

Summer Song

John Fandel

1990 Schirmer

The Dust of Snow

Robert Frost

1990 Rock Valley Music

The Lamb

Blake

1990 Schirmer

The Message

John Donne

1990 Schirmer

The Shepherd

Blake

1990 Schirmer

To an Isle in the Water

Yeats

1990 Schirmer

Twenty-Eight Young Men

Whitman

1990 Schirmer

What If…

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

1990 Schirmer

Where the Music Comes From

Hoiby

1990 Schirmer

405 Bermudas

Marvell

Investiture at Cecconi’s

James Merrill

I Was There

Whitman

1993 Schirmer

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

1993 Schirmer

Beginning My Studies I Was There A Clear Midnight O Captain! My Captain! Joy, Shipmate, Joy!

Bon Appetit!

Julia Child

Three Ages of Woman

Elizabeth Bishop

1994 Schirmer

1994 Southern Music

Manners Filling Station Insomnia

Night Songs Night Pierrot Angelique The Shroud

Adelaide Crapsey

1996 Classical Vocal Reprints

406 O Flolrida

Wallace Stevens

1996 Classical Vocal Reprints

Floral Decorations for Bananas Bugginal Continual Conversation with a Silent Man Before My Door O Florida, Venereal Soil

I Have a Dream

Martin Luther King 1998 Classical Vocal Reprints

Nero and Sporus

Aldous Huxley

1998 Rock Valley Music

Three French Songs

Arthur Rimbaud

2000 Rock Valley Music

Le Coeur volé L’Eternité Rêvé pour l’hiver

The Shining Place

Dickinson

The Shining Place A Letter How the Waters Closed Wild Nights There Came a Wind Like a Bugle

2002 Peer Music

407 Cut Grass

Philip Larkin

2003 Rock Valley Music

Sonnets and Soliloquies

Shakespeare

2003 Rock Valley Music

If Music Be the Food of Love Sonnet 116 Sonnet 128 Portia’s Plea

Southern Voices

2003 Rock Valley Music

Butterflies

A. R. Ammons

Lullaby

Robert Penn Warren

Bells for John Whiteside’s

John Crowe Ransom

Daughter Berenice Sadie Brown

Winter and Summer

Carson McCullers

Ricardo Castro

2005 Rock Valley Music

A Pocket of Time

Elizabeth Bishop

2006 Rock Valley Music

Private First Class Jesse Givens

Jesse Givens

2006 Rock Valley Music

Winter Hubris Summer’s Retort

408 Richard Hundley Epitaph on a Wife

Anonymous

1961 Boosey & Hawkes

Spring

Shakespeare

1963 General Music

Bartholomew Green

James Purdy

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

Birds, U.S.A.

James Purdy

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

Come Ready and See Me

James Purdy

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

I Do

James Purdy

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

Isaac Greentree

epitaph

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

My Master Hath a Garden

anonymous Elizabethan

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

Sweet Suffolk Owl

Anonymous 16th century

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

The Astronomers (An Epitaph)

Anonymous

1981 Boosey & Hawkes

Evening Hours

James Purdy

1985 Boosey & Hawkes

When Orpheus Played

Shakespeare

1985 Boosey & Hawkes

409 A Package of Cookies

Virgil Thomson

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

Epitaph of a Young Girl

on tombstone in

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

In Boston Commons

Lions

James Purdy

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

O My Darling Troubles

Kenneth Patchen

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

Screw Spring

William M. Hoffman

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

Sweet River

John Fletcher

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

Waterbird

James Purdy

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

When Children Are Playing

Robert Louis Stevenson

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

Dickinson

1988 Boosey & Hawkes

Heaven with her Loveliness

Alone on the Green

Will There Really Be a Morning?

Octaves and Sweet Sounds Strings in the Earth and Air James Joyce

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

410 Seashore Girls

e.e. cummings

Moonlight’s Watermelon

Jose Garcia Villa

Straightway Beauty on

James Purdy

On Me Waits Well Welcome

Gertrude Stein

Anne Kilstofte Sicilian Lullaby

Eugene Field

2001 Kaska Publishing

Japanese Lullaby

Eugene Field

2001 Kaska Publishing

Nightfall in Dordrecht

Eugene Field

2001 Kaska Publishing

Orkney Lullaby

Eugene Field

2001 Kaska Publishing

Lori Laitman Dreaming

Laitman

1991 Enchanted Knickers

The Metropolitan Tower

Sara Teasdale

1992 Enchanted Knickers

Echo

Rossetti

1995 Enchanted Knickers

The Ballad Singer

Thomas Hardy

1995 Enchanted Knickers

411 Four Dickinson Songs

Dickinson

1996 Enchanted Knickers

Will There Really Be A Morning? I’m Nobody She Died If I…

Plums

William Carlos Williams 1996 Enchanted Knickers To a poor Old Woman I Just Wanted to Say

Between the Bliss and Me

Dickinson

1997 Enchanted Knickers

I gained it so The Book I could not prove

Days and Nights

1997 Merion Music

Along with Me

Browning

They Might Not Need Me

Dickinson

The Night Has a Thousand

Francis W. Bourdillon

Eyes Over the Fence

Dickinson

Song

Rossetti

Wild Nights

Dickinson

412 Homeless

Michael Flack

1998 Enchanted Knickers

Mystery

Teasdale

1998 Enchanted Knickers

Armgart

George Eliot

2000 Enchanted Knickers

Men with Small Heads

Thomas Lux

2000 Enchanted Knickers

Mary Oliver

2000 Enchanted Knickers

Mary Oliver

2001 Enchanted Knickers

Nightfall The Kiss The Mystery The Rose

Men with Small Heads Refrigerator, 1957 A Small Tin Parrot Pin Snake Lake

Sunflowers Sunflowers Dreams Sunrise

One or Two Things Don’t Bother Me

413 The God of Dirt One or Two Things

Round and Round

Anne Spencer Lindbergh 2001 Enchanted Knickers

Earlier This Afternoon Little Plump Person I Contrived a Poem Bar the Door Little Anne Round and Round

The Years

Teasdale

2001 Enchanted Knickers

Lines Written at the Falls

Thomas Moore

2002 Enchanted Knickers

Little Elegy

Elinor Wylie

2002 Enchanted Knickers

Two Dickinson Songs

Dickinson

2002 Enchanted Knickers

Jewels To-Night Barter Faults The Years

Good Morning Midnight

414 Wilder than the Sky

Within these Spaces I Grow to Be My

2002 Enchanted Knickers Marjorie Saiser

Grandmother My Mother Has Recovered

Marjorie Saiser

Letter to My Daughter

Marjorie Saiser

The China Cup

Janet Coleman

Pioneer Child’s Doll

Judith Sornberger

Becoming a Redwood

Dana Gioia

2003 Enchanted Knickers

Mary Oliver

2003 Enchanted Knickers

The Song Pentecost Curriculum Vitae Becoming a Redwood

Early Snow

Last Night the Rain Spoke to Me Blue Iris Early Snow

Fresh Patterns

2003 Enchanted Knickers

415 It’s All I Have

Dickinson

To Bring Today Letter for Emily Dickinson

Annie Finch

Money

Dana Gioia

2003 Enchanted Knickers

The Throwback

Paul Muldoon

2003 Enchanted Knickers

Jama Jandrokovic

2004 Enchanted Knickers

The Apple Orchard

Dana Gioia

2004 Enchanted Knickers

Swimmers on the Shore

David Mason

2004 Enchanted Knickers

Cradle Song for Asher The Ancestor Redknots The Breather The Throwback

Five Lovers On Meeting Again Lovely in His Bones This Morning Second Date July, 95 Degrees

416 Equations of the Light

Dana Gioia

2005 Enchanted Knickers

This Space

Thomas Lux

2005 Enchanted Knickers

Orange Afternoon Lover

Margaret Atwood

2006 Enchanted Knickers

Against Still Life I Was Reading a Scientific Article I am Sitting on the Edge

Eloise at Yaddo

David Yezzi

2007 Enchanted Knickers

A Wild Sostenuto

Richard Wilbur

2008 Enchanted Knickers

The Blood Jet

Sylvia Plath

2008 Enchanted Knickers

Gibbons

2008 Enchanted Knickers

Morning Song The Rival Kindness Balloons

The Silver Swan

Libby Larsen Cowboy Songs Bucking Bronco

1979 Schirmer Belle Starr

417 Lift Me into Heaven Slowly Robert Creeley Billy the Kid

Me (Brenda Ueland)

Anonymous

Brenda Ueland

1987 Oxford

Calamity Jane

1989 Oxford

Why I Write this Book Childhood Adolescence Greenwich Village Marriage… Divorce Work Art (Life is Love) The Present

Songs from Letters So Like Your Father’s He Never Misses

A Man Can Love Two Women A Working Woman All I Have

Sonnets from the Portuguese

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I thought once how Theocritus had sung My letters!

1991 Oxford

418 With the same heart, I said, I’ll answer thee If I leave all for thee Oh, Yes! How do I love thee?

Perineo

Roberto Echararren

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

Margaret Songs

Willa Cather

1996 Oxford

Jeanne Shepard

1998 Oxford

Bright Rails So Little There Beneath the Hawthorne Tree

Late in the Day Clinging Travelling Ant and the Grasshopper

Love After 1950

2000 Oxford

Boy’s Lips

Rita Dove

Blonde Men

Julie Kane

Big sister says, 1967

Kathryn Daniels

The empty song

Liz Lochead

I make my magic

Muriel Rukeyser

419 My Antonia

Willa Cather

2000 Oxford

Landscape I: From the Train Antonia Landscape II: Winter The Hired Girls Landscape III: Prairie Spring Antonia in the Field Landscape IV: Sunset

Try Me, Good King

2000 Oxford

Katherine of Aragon

Katherine of Aragon

Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn

Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour

Anne of Cleaves

Anne of Cleaves

Katherine Howard

Katherine Howard

When I am an Old Woman

Jenny Joseph

2008 Schirmer

Anonymous Elizabethan

1984 Presser

John Musto Canzonettas Western Wind All Night by the Rose The Silver Swan

420 Enough Rope

Dorothy Parker

1985 Presser

Langston Hughes

1986 Presser

Robert Frost

1986 Presser

Social Rope Resume The Sea

Shadow of the Blues Silhouette Litany Island Could Be

Two by Frost Nothing Gold Can Stay The Rose Family

Triolet

Eugene O’Neill

1987 Presser

Lament

Millay

1988 Presser

Recuerdo

1988 Presser

Echo

Rossetti

Recuerdo

Millay

A Last Song

Louise Bogan

421 Quiet Songs

1990 Presser

Maggie & Milly & Molly

e.e. cummings

& May Intermezzo

Amy Elizabeth Burton

Quiet Song

Eugene O’Neill

Christmas Carol

Millay

Palm Sunday: Naples

Arthur Symons

Lullaby

Leonie Adams

Heartbeats

Melvin Dixon

Dove Sta Amore

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

1996 Presser

Maybe

Carl Sandburg

Sea Chest

Carl Sandburg

The Hangman at Home

Carl Sandburg

How Many Little Children

James Agee

Sleep Dove sta amore

Lawrence Felinghetti

I Stop Writing the Poem

Tess Gallagher

1999 Presser

Old Photograph

MacLeish

1999 Presser

422 San Jose Symphony Reception

Ferlinghetti

1999 Presser

Words to be Spoken

MacLeish

1999 Presser

Penelope

Denise Lanctot

2000 Presser

From the wanderer’s cup I drink Life is hell when you’re gone Loneliness unravels In my father’s orchard I can see from my balcony On the flap of a lapel I fly Penelope’s Song

Flamenco

CK Williams

2001 Presser

Nude at the Piano

Campbell

2001 Presser

Viva Sweet Love

2004 Presser

As is the sea marvelous

e.e. cummings

Rome in the Café

James Laughlin

You came as a thought

Laughlin

Crystal Palace Market

Laughlin

sweet spring

e.e. cummings

423 Thomas Pasatieri 2 Shakespeare Songs

Shakespeare

1971 Southern Music

Louis Phillips

1971 Southern Music

Parting That Time of Year

3 American Songs Boundaries Haiku Critic’s Privilege

3 Coloratura Songs

1971 Southern Music

Miranda-Miranda Lear and His Daughters Love’s Emblems

Three Poems of James Agee

James Agee

1974 Bellwin

How Many Little Children Sleep A Lullaby Sonnet

3 Poems by Kirsten Van Cleave A Night of Love You Know Give Me Your Hand

Kirsten Van Cleave

1977 Bellwin

424 Agnes

Paul Enos

1977 Bellwin

Beautiful the Days

Kirsten Van Cleave

1977 Bellwin

Dirge for Two Veterans

Whitman

1977 Bellwin

Discovery

Anne Howard Bailey

1977 Bellwin

Instead of Words

Gerald Walker

1977 Bellwin

Lullaby for a Lost Child

Josephin Schillig

1977 Bellwin

Ophelia’s Lament

Shakespeare

1977 Bellwin

Reflection

Dickinson

1977 Bellwin

The Harp that once through

Thomas Moore

1977 Bellwin

The Kiss

Martin Dulman

1977 Bellwin

These are the Days

Dickinson

1977 Bellwin

Tara’s Halls

425 Vocal Modesty

Gerald Walker

1977 Bellwin

Winter’s Child

Martin Dulman

1977 Bellwin

As in a Theatre

Shakespeare

1980 Bellwin

Overweight, Overwrought

Sheila Nadler

1980 Bellwin

The Music Bent is my retired mind

Thomas Campion

1980 Bellwin

There Came a Day

Dickinson

1980 Bellwin

The Verandahs

Kenward Elmslie

1980 Bellwin

Day of Love

Kristin van Cleave

1983 Schirmer

Over you

Three Sonnets from the Portugeuse Elizabeth Barrett Browning

1984 Schirmer

Three California Songs

1989 Schirmer

Brother Song The Middle-Aged Shepherd

Robert H. Deutsch

426 Three Poems of Theodore Ramsay

Ramsay

1989 Schirmer

Love Remembering On Parting

Vocalise

1989 Schirmer

Alleluia

Lotte Lehmann

1991 Presser

Sieben Lehmannlieder

Lotte Lehmann

1991 Presser

Ich bin allein Wie lieb, ich So hort, ich In flammen Wie schon Narzissus Die Welt scheint

Three Poems of Oscar Wilde Helas The Harlot’s House Requiescat

Wilde

1999 Presser

427 A Rustling of Angels

2003 Presser

How Sweet the Answer

Thomas Moore

I Saw

Anonymous

What Would I Give

Rossetti

Gather Ye Rosebuds

Robert Herrick

At the Moated Granger

Shakespeare

Love’s Philosophy

Shelley

Green Grow the Rushes

Robert Burns

Art

Melville

The Revelatior

Coventry Patmore

Echo

Rossetti

The Old Stoic

Emily Bronte

Beneath the Cypress Shade

Thomas Love Peacock

Dream Land

Rossetti

2006 Subito Music

I Just Love My Voice

Gerald Walker

2006 Subito Music

Orpheus

Shakespeare

2006 Subito Music

The Last Invocation

Whitman

2006 Subito Music

Lady Macbeth

Shakespeare

2009 Presser

428 André Previn Five Songs

Philip Larkin

1978 Schirmer

Morning has Spread Again Home is So Sad Friday Night in the Royal Station Hotel Talking in Bed The Trees

Sally Chisum Remembers

adapted by Michael Ondaatje

1996 Chester Music

Billy the Kid

Three Dickinson Songs

Dickinson

1999 Schirmer

As imperceptibly as grief Will there really be a morning? Good morning midnight

Four Songs

2004 Schirmer

Is it for Now

Philip Larkin

To Write One Song

Philip Larkin

Ad Infinitum

William Carlos Williams

The Revelation

William Carlos Williams

Gene Scheer Christmas Once More

Scheer

1997 Classical Vocal Reprints

429

American Anthem

Scheer

1998 Classical Vocal Reprints

Voices from World War II

Scheer

2000 Classical Vocal Reprints

Holding Each Other The German U-Boat Captain At Howard Hawks’ House Omaha Beach Morrison Shelter

Richard Pearson Thomas Ladies of Their Nights and Days

Thomas

Windsor: The Queen Elizabeth Blues London: The Shop Girl Vienna: Frau Winter Genoa: Invitation How Many Churches? South of France: A Nun’s Life Impossible Object Moscow: Comrade Alekseyevna Confesses A Polish Quarter, Paris: Dimly Lit Seville: Spider Legs I Left You in Florence

1987 Portage Press

430 Far Off

Cavafy

1991 Portage Press

Dickinson

1992 Portage Press

Morning Sea Body, Remember At the Café Entrance One Night In Despair Far Off

At Last, To Be Identified!

Doubt Me! My Dim Companion What if I say I shall not wait! Wild Nights – Wild Nights! I never saw a Moor There’s a certain slant of light At last, to be identified!

Drum Taps

Whitman

O Tan-faced Prairie Boy Beat! Beat! Drums! A Sight in Camp in the Daybreak Gray Dim Dirge for Two Veterans Vigil Strange I Kept One Night

1992 Portage Press

431 Aids Anxiety

Thomas

Songs to Poems of Edna St.

Millay

1993 Boosey & Hawkes

1994 Portage Press

Vincent Millay The Road to Avrille To a Young Poet To One Who Might Have Borne a Message The Ballad of the Harp-Weaver

Charles Dickens’

Charles Dickens

1997 Portage Press

A Christmas Carol Abridged and Condensed

Ossessione

“Arie Antiche”

1997 Portage Press

Edward Lear

2001 Portage Press

Per la Gloria / Come Raggio Gia il sole dal Gange Amarillii, mia bella O del mio Dolce Ardor Danza, Danza (piano solo) Sebben, Crudele Vittoria, mio core! Caro mio ben

A Little Nonsense

432 The Pobble Who Has No Toes Calico Pie The Owl and the Pussycat

Cabaret Songs, Volume 1

Thomas

2001 Portage Press

Thomas

2003 Portage Press

My German Boyfriend How Many Churches? You Do Not Understand It Doesn’t Matter When I Kiss You I’m Yours!

Cabaret Songs, Volume 2 Just Another Hour Damaged Why Can’t I Let You Go? When You Sang Your Songs The Thought of Him Move into the Light

________________________________________________________________________

433 BIBLIOGRAPHY

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