(Vocal). These three brand-new settings by the multi-talented Andre Previn, composed for and premiered by Renee Fleming, demonstrate once more why Emily Dickinson's poetry is irresistible to composers and singers. Contents: As Imperceptibly as Grief * Will There Really Be a Morning? * Good Morning Midnight.
Emily Dickinson's astonishingly original poems, with their keen imagery and highly charged but economically expressed emotion, have inspired numerous composers to set them to music. This book provides a detailed inventory of 1,615 musical settings of Emily Dickinson's texts, by 276 composers, written between 1896 and 1991.
Described as the "life and soul of British contemporary music", Jane Manning is an internationally celebrated English concert and opera soprano. In this new follow-up to her highly regarded New Vocal Repertory, Volumes I and II, she provides a seasoned expert's guidance and insight into the vocal genre she calls home. Vocal Repertoire for the Twenty-First Century spans the late middle-20th century through the second decade of the 21st. Manning's comprehensive selection of contemporary art songs ranges from the avant-garde to the more easily accessible, including substantial song cycles, shorter encore pieces, and songs suitable for auditions and competitions. The two-volume guide presents expertly-informed selections tailored to particular voice types. Each of the 160 selections is accompanied by a highly detailed performance guide, music examples, levels of difficulty, and a brief encapsulation of vocal characteristics or challenges contained in the piece. A supplemental companion website provides composer biographies and an up-to-date list of recommended recordings. With a focus on younger composers in addition to prominent figures, Manning encourages singers to refresh and expand their recital repertoire into less familiar territory, and discover the rewards therein. Volume 1 features works written before 2000, including pieces from such renowned composers as John Cage ("The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs", "A Flower"), André Previn ("Five Songs"), and Igor Stravinsky ("The Owl and the Pussycat").
Described as the "life and soul of British contemporary music", Jane Manning is an internationally celebrated English concert and opera soprano. In this new follow-up to her highly regarded New Vocal Repertory, Volumes I and II, she provides a seasoned expert's guidance and insight into the vocal genre she calls home.Vocal Repertoire for the Twenty-First Century spans the late middle-20th century through the second decade of the 21st. Manning's comprehensive selection of contemporary art songs ranges from the avant-garde to the more easily accessible, including substantial song cycles, shorter encore pieces, and songs suitable for auditions and competitions. The two-volume guide presents expertly-informed selections tailored to particular voice types. Each of the 160 selections is accompanied by a highly detailed performance guide, music examples, levels of difficulty, and a brief encapsulation of vocal characteristics or challenges contained in the piece. A supplemental companion website provides composer biographies and an up-to-date list of recommended recordings. With a focus on younger composers in addition to prominent figures, Manning encourages singers to refresh and expand their recital repertoire into less familiar territory, and discover the rewards therein.Volume 1 features works written before 2000, including pieces from such renowned composers as John Cage ("The Wonderful Widow of Eighteen Springs", "A Flower"), André Previn ("Five Songs"), and Igor Stravinsky ("The Owl and the Pussycat").
Recent American Art Song: A Guide is a reference source devoted to songs with English texts by American composers, written for solo voice and piano. The book focuses exclusively on art song since 1980, a substantial period largely ignored by scholars. This is the first study to examine this repertory in detail, and many of the songs and composers are discussed in print for the first time. Keith E. Clifton has examined approximately 1000 songs by nearly 200 composers. Many songs employ musical idioms well beyond traditional classical styles, including references to jazz, musical theater, rap, and rock & roll, and several songs blur the boundaries between recital and stage works. Organized alphabetically by composer, entries contain complete biographical and bibliographical information, with major works and links to print resources and composer websites when available. In addition, Clifton provides detailed information on the vocal range, musical style, and appropriate voice type for individual songs. The book concludes with a full discography and bibliography, as well as indexes listing the works by poet, song cycle, title, voice type, and level of difficulty.
Carol Kimball's comprehensive survey of art song literature has been the principal one-volume American source on the topic. Now back in print after an absence of several years this newly revised edition includes biographies and discussions of the work of
Music is a vital element in the poems and prose of Emily Dickinson but, despite its importance, the function of music as a literary technique in her work has not yet been fully explored; what information exists is scarce and scattered. The significance of the musical terminology and imagery in Dickinson's poetry and prose are thoroughly explored in this book. It considers the music of Dickinson's life and times and how it influenced her writing, how she combined music and poetry to create her own style, several important nineteenth century reviews for what they reveal about the musical quality of her work, and her use of Protestant hymns as a model for her poetry. It also provides insights into musical interpretations of her poetry as related to the author by some fifty modern-day composers and arrangers, and discusses musical reflections of her poems and letters.
New in Paperback 2004. Probably the most comprehensive work on the American art song ever available, this book considers the lives and contributions of 144 significant composers in the field, including many for whom information has been extremely scarce. Most composers' entries consist of a biographical sketch; a brief discussion of his or her song writing characteristics (with emphasis on performers' concerns); a partial or complete listing of annotated songs; recording information; and the composer's individual bibliography. Song annotations include poet, publisher, date of composition (when known), voice type, range, duration, tempo indication, mood, subject matter, vocal style, special difficulties, general impression, artists who have recorded the song, and any other pertinent information. Thirty composers whose contributions are deemed of lesser import are summarized in brief essays. Appendixes include a supplement of recommended songs; a listing of American song anthologies and their contents; and the most recent information regarding publishers cited in the guide. There is also a general discography, a general bibliography, and indexes for both titles and poets. Documenting the most important 110 years in the development of American art song, this book is an indispensable tool for singers, teachers, coaches, accompanists, and libraries.