Gwyneth Walker. Emily! (from New England) musical settings of the poems of Emily Dickinson. for Mezzo - Soprano and Piano

Transcription

1 Gyneth Walker Emily! (from Ne England) musical settings of the oems of Emily Dickinson for Mezzo - Sorano and Piano

2 CONTENTS 1 My Letter to the World 2 The Moon and the Sea 8 The rog in the Bog 12 Hoe (ith eathers) 15 5 Passion 19 6 oy 2 7 All I Have to Bring 29 PROGRAM NOTES The oetry of Emily Dickinson ( ) is esecially aealing due to the ide range of toics diversity of mood and eculiar imagination of the oet The ritings are reflective assionate itty sensuous oservant and ridiculously humorous Her heart soars Her mind okes fun! Emily as truly a Ne Englander Her oems are understated and comact Her love of Nature focuses on small things irds ees meados and a ond In creating the musical settings the comoser (herself a Ne Englander) endeavored to cature the sirit of the oetry and of the oet ith songs diverse in style and concise in form Everything from romance to frogs is exlored riefly Great delight is taken in creating musical translations of the colorful imagery: the letters floating off on the reeze ( My Letter to the World ); the shimmering moonlight ( The Moon and the Sea ); a frog croaking in a og ( The rog in the Bog ); hoeful irds hoing aout ( Hoe ith eathers); the oat of assion riding the aves and then settling into its mooring ( Passion ); the shi s cannon firing in celeration ( oy ); and the tiniest lightest gifts of Nature ( All I Have to Bring ) These are the oet s Letters to the World She lived as a recluse yet her ords took flight traveling the universe as messengers of the soul Duration: 1 minutes

3 THE COMPOSER Widely erformed throughout the country the music of American comoser Gyneth Walker is eloved y erformers and audiences alike for its energy eauty reverence drama and humor Dr Gyneth Walker ( 197) is a graduate of Bron University and the Hartt School of Music She holds BA MM and DMA degrees in Music Comosition A former faculty memer of the Oerlin College Conservatory she resigned from academic emloyment in 1982 in order to ursue a career as a full-time comoser or nearly 0 years she lived on a dairy farm in Braintree Vermont She no divides her time eteen her childhood hometon of Ne Canaan Connecticut and the musical communities of Sarasota lorida and Randolh Vermont Gyneth Walker has een a roud resident of Vermont for many years She is the reciient of the Year 2000 Lifetime Achievement Aard from the Vermont Arts Council as ell as the 2008 Athenaeum Aard for Achievement in the Arts and Humanities from the St ohnsury (VT) Athenaeum In 2012 she as elected as a ello of the Vermont Academy of Arts and Sciences Walker s catalog includes over 00 commissioned orks for orchestra chamer ensemles chorus and solo voice A secial interest has een dramatic orks that comine music ith readings acting and movement The music of Gyneth Walker is ulished y E C Schirmer (choral and vocal music) and Lauren Keiser Music (orchestral and instrumental music) urther information concerning Gyneth Walker and her orks is availale at: gynethalkercom THE POEMS 1 My Letter to the World This is my letter to the World That never rote to Me The simle Nes that Nature told With tender Maesty Her Message is committed To Hands I cannot see or love of Her Seet countrymen udge tenderly of Me 2 The Moon and the Sea The Moon is distant from the Sea And yet ith Amer Hands She leads Him docile as a Boy Along aointed Sands He never misses a Degree Oedient to Her eye He comes ust so far toard the Ton ust so far goes aay Oh Signor Thine the Amer Hand And mine the distant Sea Oedient to the least command Thine eye imose on me

4 The rog in the Bog I m Noody! Who are you Are you Noody Too Then there s a air of us! Don t tell! they d advertise you kno! Ho dreary to e Someody! Ho ulic like a rog To tell one s name the livelong une To an admiring Bog! Hoe (ith eathers) Hoe is the thing ith feathers That erches in the soul And sings the tune ithout the ords And never stos at all And seetest in the Gale is heard And sore must e the storm That could aash the little Bird That ket so many arm I ve heard it in the chillest land And on the strangest Sea Yet never in Extremity It asked a crum of me 6 oy Tis so much oy! Tis so much oy! If I should fail hat overty! And yet as oor as I Have ventured all uon a thro! Have gained! Yes! Hesitated so This side the Victory! Life is ut Life! And Death ut Death! Bliss is ut Bliss and Breath ut Breath! And if indeed I fail At least to kno the orst is seet! Defeat means nothing ut Defeat No drearier can efall! And if I gain! Oh Gun at Sea! Oh Bells that in the Steeles e! At first reeat it slo! or Heaven is a different thing Conectured and aked sudden in And might extinguish me! 5 Passion Wild Nights Wild Nights! Were I ith thee Wild Nights should e Our luxury! utile the Winds To a Heart in ort Done ith the Comass Done ith the Chart! Roing in Eden Ah ut the Sea! Might I ut moor Tonight In Thee! 7 All I Have to Bring It s all I have to ring today This and my heart eside This and my heart and all the fields And all the meados ide Be sure you count should I forget Someone the sum could tell This and my heart and all the Bees Which in the Clover dell

5 Emily Dickinson ( ) G Walker alt Catalog No 860 Emily! (from Ne England) for Mezzo - Sorano and Piano 1 My Letter to the World Gyneth Walker Piano Singer retends to rite a letter (a oem) Gently floing q = 92 as a single leaf of aer floating off ith a reeze delicately ith edal Ó 6 rit 9 a temo a temo Note setting and format y Gyneth Walker Music Productions Coyright 2015 y E C Schirmer Music Comany Inc a division of ECS Pulishing ecsulishingcom All rights reserved cantaile This is my let - ter to the

6 5 12 World that nev - er rote to Me The simile 15 sim -le nes that Na - ture told ith ten -der Ma -es - ty g 18 Her 6 Mes-sage is com-mit -ted to Hands I can -not see or rit Sloer ( ) 6 6 rit g Sloer Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 1 My Letter to the World

7 love of Her Seet coun -try - men udge ten - der - ly of 6 6 gg 2 a temo (q = 92) Me a temo (q = 92) Ó ( ) ith edal cresc oco a oco 26 Ó Her mes -sage is com -mit - ted to Hands I can - not rit f (cresc) rit Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 1 My Letter to the World

8 8 Ó Start sloly gently as moonlight ith edal a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112) The Moon is dis - tant accel oco a oco () 8 rit 2 The Moon and the Sea from the Sea shimmering tremoli Slightly sloer and 12 yet ith Am - er Hands She leads Him do - cile as a Slightly sloer rit g g N Boy a - long a - oint - ed () Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 2 The Moon and the Sea Sands a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112)

9 () Ó ( ) He ( ) nev - er miss - es a De - gree o - e - dient to Her eye oco rit Ton oco rit (rit) He Ó (rit) comes ust so N ust A g A Slightly sloer so far Slightly sloer a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112) far ( ) ith edal Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 2 The Moon and the Sea goes a - ay g rit to - ard the (as a aning moon) rit 9

10 10 1 esr Oh Si - gnor Thine the Am - er n 7 1 Hand and rit mine the dis - tant Sea o - n g e - dient to the least com -mand Thine eye im - ose on rit A A g A me a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112) f imassioned Oh Si - gnor ( ) ( ) simile f imassioned Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 2 The Moon and the Sea

11 12 The rog in the Bog With energy q = 112 layfully no edal Ó I m no-od - y! Who are you Are you no -od -y rit rit 6 Sloer Looking at ianist " 8 9 Too! Then there s a Sloer " ( (for rehearsal only) air of us! ) ansering the voice ( ) 9 a temo (q = 112) finger to lis hushed 2 a temo (q = 112) Don t tell they d ad - ver -tise you 2 2 Walker Emily! (from Ne England) The rog in the Bog

12 () () 2 () kno! a temo (q f gruffly n = 112) as a tango a temo (q = 112) as a tango as a dreary og rit rit n ^ n ^ v v v v n v drear - y drear - y drear -y drear -y drear - y to e Walker Emily! (from Ne England) The rog in the Bog Ó v v v Ho drearily some - od - y! Ho u - lic like a

13 Hoe (ith eathers) 15 oyful temo q = lightly irdlike oyful temo q = 126 Hoe is the thing ith Ó 6 light and feathery 6 feath - ers that erch - es in the soul and () 7 6 sings the tune ith - out the ords and nev - er stos at 6 6 Walker Emily! (from Ne England) Hoe (ith eathers)

14 16 10 ith exuerance 1 all Ho - ho - ho - ho - hoe rit ( ) Ó ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - hoe rit And 16 Relaxed temo 6 seet - est in the Gale is heard and sore must e the storm that Relaxed temo g rit Sloly a temo (q = 126) could a - ash the lit - tle Bird that ket so man - y arm 6 6 rit Sloly a temo (q = 126) Walker Emily! (from Ne England) Hoe (ith eathers)

15 17 22 ith exuerance Ho - ho - ho - ho - hoe 25 rit Sloer ( ) ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - hoe I ve rit Sloer 28 heard it in the chill -est land and on the strang-est Sea yet 2 rit g nev - er in Ex - trem - i - ty it asked a crum of me rit (ansering voice) Ó Walker Emily! (from Ne England) Hoe (ith eathers)

16 5 9 1 With motion q = 112 f ith assion g g g g g nights! Wild g g g g g Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 5 Passion rit rit 5 Passion nights! nights! Sloer Ó ith assion f Were I ith thee Sloer Wild Wild 19

17 20 17 ild nights should e our lux -ur -y our lux -ur -y gg g () rit rit ( ) a temo (q = 112) n a temo (q = 112) ( ) as tumultuous aves of romance Heart in ort done ith the Chart! n simile esr u - tile the Winds to a Done ith the Com - ass n Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 5 Passion

18 28 1 Ro - ing in E - den n rit Might I ut moor To rit n n 7 f g nights! Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 5 Passion g ah! ut the - Sloer night Sloer ( ) ( ) ( ) ( ) in Sea! ( ) eacefully tenderly Wild nights! Thee! a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112) Ó Wild g ith assion f Wild! 21 n n n

19 With a oyful ounce q = oy cresc slight edal 2 (cresc) f ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ more edal 7 ( ) n n n ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ n Ó n LH n n n rit Ó ( ) (edal stays through reak) 11 Start sloly and accel 5 () Start sloly and accel accelerate into an unmeasured lur of sound ~~~~~~~~~ Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 6 oy Ó f ecstatic Tis ith excitement q = 120 so much oy! ith excitement q = 120 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

20 2 1 Tis so much oy! rit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / f / rit If () 17 Sloer as a recitative 20 I should fail hat ov -er -ty! And yet as oor as I have ven -tured all u -on a thro! Sloer as a recitative loco gained! Yes! Hes - i - ta -ted so This side the vic - tor - Have 2 g y! accel f accel Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 6 oy a temo (q = 120) Ó a temo (q = 120) n n f n simile

21 26 oco rit Slightly sloer q = 108 reflectively Life is ut life and 25 oco rit Slightly sloer q = 108 dim 29 death ut death! cresc oco a oco Bliss is ut liss and reath ut reath! And cresc oco a oco 2 (cresc) rit f Sloer as a recitative if in - deed I fail At least to kno the orst is seet De - (cresc) rit Sloer as a recitative f g n Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 6 oy

22 feat means noth -ing ut de -feat no drear -ier can e - fall a temo (q = 120) ( ) 1 n Ó simile f triumhantly And cresc if I gain Oh f U g gg U g gun at sea! *celeratory Oh ells that in the cresc stee - les e! * f *As cannons fired from a shi at sea Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 6 oy

23 27 7 at first re - eat it slo! or * n 50 rit oco a oco hea - ven is a dif - ferent thing con - ec - tured and aked dim rit oco a oco dim 5 (dim) Sloly sud - den in and might ex - tin - guish me! rit Ó (dim) Sloly ( ) g rit *As cannons fired from a shi at sea Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 6 oy

24 7 All I Have to Bring 29 6 Singer retends to rite another letter as in Song 1 ( ) ( ) Lightly q delicately ith edal = 108 ith moderate energy as a single leaf of aer floating off ith a reeze Ó ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ It s all I have to ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ arely audile ackground ( ) ( ) Ó gently meekly - this and my heart e - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ring to day 9 side ith more strength cresc This and my heart and cresc Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 7 All I Have to Bring

25 1 26 Slightly sloer earnestly ( f ) It s all I have to ring it s all I have to ring it s all I have to Slightly sloer earnestly ( f ) 29 ring to - day rit to end Ó ( ) rit to end () () (rit) Ó (rit) to Singer raises hand skyard in areciation of Nature s gentle gifts day very delicately Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 7 All I Have to Bring - U U u 1 0 Total: 1 minutes This version: Aril Ne Canaan Connecticut

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