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

Transcription

1 Gyneth Walker Emily! (from Ne England) musical settings of the oems of Emily Dickinson for 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 observant 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 birds bees 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 briefly Great delight is taken in creating musical translations of the colorful imagery: the letters floating off on the breeze ( My Letter to the World ); the shimmering moonlight ( The Moon and the Sea ); a frog croaking in a bog ( The rog in the Bog ); hoeful birds hoing about ( Hoe ith eathers); the boat of assion riding the aves and then settling into its mooring ( Passion ); the shi s cannon firing in celebration ( 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 2 THE COMPOSER Widely erformed throughout the country the music of American comoser Gyneth Walker is beloved by erformers and audiences alike for its energy beauty reverence drama and humor Dr Gyneth Walker (b 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 member of the Oberlin 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 beteen her childhood hometon of Ne Canaan Connecticut and the musical communities of Sarasota lorida and Randolh Vermont Gyneth Walker has been 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 ohnsbury (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 chamber ensembles chorus and solo voice A secial interest has been dramatic orks that combine music ith readings acting and movement The music of Gyneth Walker is ublished by E C Schirmer (choral and vocal music) and Lauren Keiser Music (orchestral and instrumental music) urther information concerning Gyneth Walker and her orks is available 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 Amber Hands She leads Him docile as a Boy Along aointed Sands He never misses a Degree Obedient to Her eye He comes ust so far toard the Ton ust so far goes aay Oh Signor Thine the Amber Hand And mine the distant Sea Obedient to the least command Thine eye imose on me

4 The rog in the Bog I m Nobody! Who are you Are you Nobody Too Then there s a air of us! Don t tell! they d advertise you kno! Ho dreary to be Somebody! Ho ublic 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 be the storm That could abash 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 crumb 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 but Life! And Death but Death! Bliss is but Bliss and Breath but Breath! And if indeed I fail At least to kno the orst is seet! Defeat means nothing but Defeat No drearier can befall! And if I gain! Oh Gun at Sea! Oh Bells that in the Steeles be! 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 be Our luxury! utile the Winds To a Heart in ort Done ith the Comass Done ith the Chart! Roing in Eden Ah but the Sea! Might I but moor Tonight In Thee! 7 All I Have to Bring It s all I have to bring today This and my heart beside 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 6 Emily! (from Ne England) for Sorano and Piano Emily Dickinson ( ) G Walker alt 1 My Letter to the World Piano Singer retends to rite a letter (a oem) Gently floing q = 92 as a single leaf of aer floating off ith a breeze delicately ith edal Ó 6 9 a temo a temo Note setting and format by Gyneth Walker Music Productions Catalog No 817 dedicated to Mary Annarella sorano and David Kidell ianist dear friends and colleagues (Holyoke Massachusetts) Coyright 2015 by E C Schirmer Music Comany Inc a division of ECS Publishing ecsublishingcom All rights reserved rit cantabile Gyneth Walker This is my let - ter to the

6 75 12 World that nev - er rote to Me The g 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 rit > Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 1 My Letter to the World

8 810 Start sloly gently as moonlight ith edal a temo (q = 112) Ó The a temo (q = 112) Moon is dis - tant accel oco a oco () 8 12 from the Sea shimmering tremoli and yet ith Am - ber Hands She leads Him do - cile as a rit g gg N Boy a - long a - oint - ed Sands () Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 2 The Moon and the Sea 2 The Moon and the Sea rit Slightly sloer Slightly sloer a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112)

9 ( ) Ó He ( ) nev - er miss - es a De - gree o - be - dient to Her g eye (rit) oco rit Ton oco rit Ó He comes ust so N ust n n n g N so far far Slightly sloer Slightly sloer a temo (q = 112) goes a - ay rit to - ard the (as a aning moon) rit 11 9 (rit) a temo (q = 112) ( ) () ith edal Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 2 The Moon and the Sea

10 esr Oh Sig - nor Thine the Am - ber Hand and mine the dis - tant Sea o - g rit be -dient to the least com -mand Thine eye im - ose on rit N g N simile f imassioned me a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112) f imassioned Oh Si - gnor ( ) ( ) Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 2 The Moon and the Sea

11 12 1 The rog in the Bog With energy q = 112 layfully no edal Ó rit I m no-bod -y! Who are you Are you no-bod -y 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 () () () kno! > a temo (q f gruffly > > a temo (q = 112) as a tango as a dreary bog b = 112) as a tango > > > > > - > > rit rit v v v v v v b v v v v > > > > drear - y drear - y drear -y drear -y drear - y to be Walker Emily! (from Ne England) The rog in the Bog > - Ó > Ho > > drearily some - bod - y! Ho ub - lic like a

13 Hoe (ith eathers) oyful temo q = lightly birdlike 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 all ith exuberance ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - Ho - ho - ho - ho - > > hoe > > > hoe rit ( ) Ó rit And > > 16 Relaxed temo 6 seet - est in the Gale is heard and sore must be the storm that Relaxed temo g rit Sloly a temo (q = 126) could a - bash 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 22 ith exuberance Ho - ho - ho - ho - hoe 25 > > > rit Sloer > > ( ) n n n ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - ho - hoe I ve rit Sloer > > > > > n n n n n n 28 2 n n heard it in the chill -est land and on the strang -est n n n g nev - er in Ex - trem - i - ty it rit asked a crumb of me rit Sea yet g (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 nights! g g g g g g Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 5 Passion rit rit 5 Passion Wild nights! nights! Sloer Ó ith assion f Were I ith thee Sloer Wild Wild 19 21

17 rit n ild nights should be our lux -ur - y our lux -ur - y rit gg g () ( ) n n 20 ( ) n 2 26 b b b a temo (q = 112) a temo (q = 112) as tumultuous aves of romance Heart in ort > done ith the Chart! b simile Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 5 Passion esr u - tile the Winds to a b b b n > Done ith the Com - ass b b b b b b b

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

19 6 oy 2 25 With a oyful bounce q = 108 cresc slight edal (cresc) n f ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ n more edal 7 ( ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ b Ó b LH rit n n Ó ( ) (edal stays through break) 11 Start sloly and accel 5 () Start sloly and accel accelerate into an unmeasured blur 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 () Sloer as a recitative Tis so much oy! rit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ / f / 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! b b accel f y! accel g Yes! Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 6 oy rit b b b If Have Hes -i - ta -ted so This side the vic - tor - a temo (q = 120) Ó a temo (q = 120) n n f n b simile

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

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

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

24 7 All I Have to Bring 29 1 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 breeze Ó Ó gently meekly ~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~ ( ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ barely audible background It s all I have to 6 bring to - day this and my heart be - ( ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ( ) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9 side ith more strength cresc This and my heart and cresc Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 7 All I Have to Bring

25 (cresc) all the fields and (cresc) all the mead - os ide 15 Strict temo (as if counting time) ( ) Be sure you count should Strict temo (as if counting time) ( ) I for - get some one the sum could (cresc) all the Bees hich tell f ecstatic (ith edal) in the clo - ver ( all of nature scale) g g cresc f dell g g ecstatic areggios g cresc This and my heart and rit rit gg gg gg gg ith edal Walker Emily! (from Ne England) 7 All I Have to Bring

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