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.
Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd
Part of the Music Commons

THE NEW AMERICAN SONG:
A CATALOG OF PUBLISHED SONGS BY 25 LIVING AMERICAN COMPOSERS
by
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 The unpublished songs of the selected composers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
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
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 1

The Selection of Composers 1
The Selection of Literature 2
The Composers 2
Methodology 3
Range Designation 4
Determining Vocal Difficulty 4
Guidelines for an easy vocal part 6
Guidelines for a moderate vocal part 6
Guidelines for a moderately difficult vocal part 7
Guidelines for a difficult vocal part 7
Guidelines for a highly difficult vocal part 7
Determining Accompanimental Difficulty 8
Guidelines for an easy accompaniment 9
Guidelines for a moderate accompaniment 9
Guidelines for a moderately difficult accompaniment 9
Guidelines for a difficult accompaniment 10
Guidelines for a highly difficult accompaniment 10
II. DOMINICK ARGENTO 11
Biography and Style 11

Song Annotations 12
III. DANIEL ASIA 22

Song Annotations 23
IV. ROBERT BAKSA 30

Song Annotations 31
V. SEYMOUR BARAB 45

Song Annotations 46
VI. JACK BEESON 59
iii
Song Annotations 60
VII. WILLIAM BOLCOM 72

Song Annotations 73
VIII. JOHN BUCCHINO 91

Song Annotations 92
IX. TOM CIPULLO 96

Song Annotations 97
X. JOHN CORIGLIANO 110

Song Annotations 111
XI. JOHN FRANTZEN 116

XII. ZINA GOLDRICH 119

XIII. RICKY IAN GORDON 133

XIV. DARON HAGEN 156

XV. JOHN HARBISON 182
iv
XVI. JAKE HEGGIE 198

XVII. LEE HOIBY 218

XVIII. RICHARD HUNDLEY 242

XIX. ANNE KILSTOFTE 251

XX. LORI LAITMAN 255

XXI. LIBBY LARSEN 282

XXII. JOHN MUSTO 298

XXIII. THOMAS PASATIERI 313

XXIV. ANDRÉ PREVIN 336

v
XXV. GENE SCHEER 342

XXVI. RICHARD PEARSON THOMAS 346

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 mezzo-
soprano 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:
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:
literature appropriate for the undergraduate and master’s level mezzo-
soprano voice. Dissertation. The American Conservatory of Music,
Chicago, 1992.
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.
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 hymn-
like 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 two-
part 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
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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.

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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

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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.

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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. Pitch-
centric.
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
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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
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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.
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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
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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;

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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.
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
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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.
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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
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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.

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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
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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.
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
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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
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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.
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

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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 mezzo-
soprano. 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:

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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
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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

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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
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.

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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

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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.

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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.
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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.

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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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

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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

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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
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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 pitch-
centric 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.

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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
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

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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 pitch-
centric 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
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.
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4. How to Get Heat Without Fire. Dedicated to Wendy Rawlings. Range: g – b-
flat2. 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
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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
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
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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 – g-
sharp2. 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 – a-
flat2. 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
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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
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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
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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.

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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

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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 – g-
sharp2. 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.

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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
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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
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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.
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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.

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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
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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.

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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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
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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.

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.

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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 story-
telling 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
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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.
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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.
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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 Carnegie-
Mellon 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
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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.

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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.

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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 three-
part 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
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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.
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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

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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.
The piano part is difficult. The text is on the death of a homeless woman and
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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

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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

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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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 mezzo-
soprano. 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.

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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.
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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
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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: b-
flat – 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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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

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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
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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
moderate. The text is one of pleading for the moon to bathe mourners in its light.
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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
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
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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 pitch-
centric. 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
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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 pitch-
centric. 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
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-
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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
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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
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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
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keen acting skills.
5. Lines After Marianne Moore. Range: b-flat – f-sharp2. The tessitura is wide.
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.

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1. Symmetry. Text by Andrei Codrescu. Dedicated to Paul Kreider. Range: b – f-
sharp2. 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.
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
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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
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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.

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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
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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

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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.
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 mezzo-
soprano. The vocal part is difficult. The piano accompaniment is moderately
difficult. A wide range is necessary for the singer. There are melismas in the
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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 mezzo-
soprano. 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.

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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.
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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
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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
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
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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
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.
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.

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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.

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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
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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 – f-
sharp2. 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
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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 man-
made 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

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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.
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
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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
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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 two-
part 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.

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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
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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 pitch-
centric. 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
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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.
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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
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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.

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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 public-
relations 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.

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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
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

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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.
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 mezzo-
soprano. 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
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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
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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,
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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
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soprano.
1. Ophelia’s Song. Text by Heggie. Range: d1 – f-sharp2. The tessitura is
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.
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
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.

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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 – f-
sharp2. 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
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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
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
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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 pitch-
centric. 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.
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.

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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
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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.

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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
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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
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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.
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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
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
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
piano accompaniment doubles the voice for much of the song. The meter shifts
frequently, and the texture is transparent. The piano accompaniment has much
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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
The text is in first person, and it is a seduction of someone or something. There

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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

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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
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
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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.
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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.

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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.

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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
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.
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
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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.
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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.
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
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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.
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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 – f-
sharp2. 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
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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
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.
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Lady of the Harbor. Text by Emma Lazarus. Published in 1990 by Schirmer. Range: c-
sharp1 – 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
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.

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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
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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.
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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
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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
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.
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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
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
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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.

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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.
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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
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

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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.
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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
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.
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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
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
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.
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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 – b-
flat2. 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
difficult. The tempo is marked andante. There is much rhythmic motion in the
accompaniment and vocal melody. The text is intricate and requires particularly
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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
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.

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3. Bells for John Whiteside’s Daughter. Text by John Crowe Ransom. Range: b-
sharp – 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
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
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
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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.

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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
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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

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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.
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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
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
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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.
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.
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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
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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
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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.

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2. Seashore Girls. Text by e. e. cummings. Range: d1 – e2. The tessitura is
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
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.

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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
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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
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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
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song is appropriate for young or inexperienced voices.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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-sharp1-
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
difficult. The vocal line has wide leaps, sustained high pitches, and a significant
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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: c1-
a-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.

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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
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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 – a-
flat2. 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
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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
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
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.
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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
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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
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

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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
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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
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

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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.
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
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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

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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
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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,
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2. My Mother Has Recovered. Text by Marjorie Saiser. Range: d1 – a-sharp2. The
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
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
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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.

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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.
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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
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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
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
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
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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 pitch-
centric, with many dissonant passages and chromatic harmonies. The vocal
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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, two-
voiced 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, two-
voiced 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.

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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.
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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
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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
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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.
1. Bucking Bronco. Text by Belle Starr. Range: d-flat1 – a2. The tessitura 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
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.

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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

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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
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.

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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.
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
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
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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 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

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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
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,

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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

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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
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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
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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 – f-
sharp2. 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.

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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
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.

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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.

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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
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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
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
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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,
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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.
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
song is atonal with some pitch centricity. There are many shifts in meter and
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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
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 –
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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
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
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.
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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
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.

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4. How Many Little Children Sleep. Text by James Agee. Range: a – a2. The
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
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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.
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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

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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.
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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.
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

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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
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.

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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
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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
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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 – f-
sharp2. 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
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
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
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.
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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 Bellwin-
Mills Publishing. Dedicated to Shirley Verrett. Recommended for mezzo-soprano.
1. How Many Little Children Sleep. Range: d-flat1 – g-flat2. The tessitura is
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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
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
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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

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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.
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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 Bellwin-
Mills. 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
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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.
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.

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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.
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.
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.

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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.

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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 mezzo-
soprano. 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
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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
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
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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.

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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

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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
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.
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
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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
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
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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
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.
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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

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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.

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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: e-
flat1 – 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.

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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.
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.
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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.

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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
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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.

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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.
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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
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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
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
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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
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
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.
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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
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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
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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
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

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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.

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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.

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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.
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2. London: The Shop Girl. Range: c1 – g2. The tessitura is moderately high. 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
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.

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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
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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,
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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.
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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
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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
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

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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
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
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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.

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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 –
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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
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
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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.

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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
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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
The Diary
Anxiety
Fancy
Hardy’s Funeral
Rome
War
Parents
Last Entry
Songs About Spring e.e. cummings 1980 Boosey & Hawkes

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 1984 Boosey & Hawkes
Casa Guidi Elizabeth Barrett
The Italian Cook and the Browning to her
English Maid sister Henrietta
Robert Browning
The Death of Mr. Barrett
Domesticity
The Andrée Expedition Journals & Letters 1987 Boosey & Hawkes
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

367
The King’s Jubilee
Illness and Drugs
Hallucinations
Anna’s Birthday
Epilogue
Final Words
Miss Manners on Music Newspaper articles by 1998 Boosey & Hawkes
Prologue 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 Paul Pines 1998 Presser
What Do We Know?
Old Medals Prayer Shawls
Job Longed for the Grave
Rosh Hashana / Yom Kipper
My Father’s Name
368
An E.E. Cummings Songbook e.e. cummings 1998 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 Paul Pines 2002 Presser
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 1977 Presser
Of Emily Dickinson
Much madness is divinest sense
I took my power in my hand
What inn is this
I died for beauty

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
The Banjo Player
The Drunkard
The Minister
A Cynic’s Cycle Ambrose Pierce 2000 Presser
Business
Allah’s good laws

371
To men
Montefiore
The Graverobbers
Religion
The Troutlet
Teasdale Songs Sara Teasdale 2002 Presser
Advice to a Girl
Did you Never know
When Love Goes
Portrait of Pierrot
April Song
Dow Songs Dorothy Dow 2003 Presser
The Elusive
Things
To a Proud Lover
To a Neglectful Lover
To a Jealous Lover
Recurrence
To a New Lover
Letters from Emily Emily Dickinson 2007 Presser

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 Dorothy Parker 1959 Boosey & Hawkes
Song of Perfect Propriety
Now at Liberty
Ultimatum
Renunciation
Inventory
Social Note
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 1995 ECS Publishing
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

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
and In Praise of Labor
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

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
Lullaby
Crazy Jane Reproved
Crazy Jane on God
Her Anxiety
Mary Magdalene’s Song Peter Viereck 1998 Boosey & Hawkes

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) Arnold Weinstein 1979 Edward B. Marks Music
Over the Piano
Fur (Murray the Furrier)
He Tipped the Waiter
Waitin’
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 1991 MarksPrint Music
Vaslav’s Song Ethyl Eichelberge 1992 Edward B. Marks Music
I Will Breathe a Mountain 1992 Edward B. Marks Music
Pity Me Not Because Edna St. Vincent Millay
the Light of Day
How to Swing Those 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 1997 Edward B. Marks Music
The Total Stranger in the Garden
Love in the Thirties
Thius, King of Orf
Miracle Song
Satisfaction
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 2001 Edward B. Marks Music
On a Statue of a Runner Greek & Latin texts
Unlucky Eutichus by Arnold Weinstein
Timomarchus’s Picture of Medea
In Rome
Praxiteles’ Aphrodite
From the Diary of Sally Hemings Sandra Seaton 2001 MarksPrint Music
John Bucchino
A Powerful Man J. Bucchino 1996 Williamson Music
If I Ever Say I’m Over You J. Bucchino 1996 Williamson Music

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 Alice Wirth Gray 1994 Classical Vocal Reprints
The Land of Nod
A Death in the Family
Deer in Mist and Almonds
On a 19th Century Color

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 2001 Oxford
I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House
Desire
Embrace
Cancer
Flames
Putting Down the Cat

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
Echo
Impossible
Unbroke
Between Verses
A Plea for Mercy
Glance
Echo 2
Drifts and Shadows Pastan 2005 Classical Vocal Reprints
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 2003 The Marcy
Apathetic Man & Zina Company
Baltimore
Beautiful You
Boom, Boom
Don’t You Be Shakin’ Your Faith in Me
Faraway
Fifteen Pounds
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
Winter Moon
Genius Child
Troubled Woman
Prayer
My People
Kid in the Park
To Be Somebody
Strange Hurt
Border Line
Joy
I Never Knew Gordon 1993 Boosey & Hawkes
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 Langston Hughes 1997 Willliamson Music
Angel Wings
Daybreak in Alabama
Delinquent
Demand
Dream
Dream Variations
Drum
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 James Merrill 1995 Schirmer
A Downward Look
Body
The Instilling
On the Blick: Mantel Clock
Vol XLIV, No. 3
Pledge
An Upward Look
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
The Waking Father
Thrush
Blemish
Mink
Bran
Vico
Holy Thursday
Phantoms of Myself Susan Griffin 2002 Carl Fischer
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 2007 Burning Sled Music
Youth, Day, Old Age, 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
1-20
Mirabai Songs Mirabai 1983 Associated Music
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 Czeslaw Milosz
North and South Emily Bishop 2001 Associated Music
Book I: Ballad for Billie I
Late Air
Breakfast Song
Book II: Ballad for Billie II
Song
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
Jake Heggie
The Faces of Love Emily Dickinson 1998 Schirmer
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 1999 Bent Pen Music
The Spring is Arisen; Heggie
Ophelia’s Song
Women have loved before Millay
as I love now
Not in a silver casket cool Millay
with pearls
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
In the beginning…
Once upon a universe
Paper Wings Frederica von Stade 2000 Schirmer
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 traditional 2000 Schirmer
Barb’ry Allen
He’s Gone Away

401
The Leather-Winged Bat
To Say Before Going to Sleep Rilke 2000 Schirmer
White in the Moon Housman 2000 Schirmer
The Moon is a Mirror Vachel Lindsay 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 2004 Bent Pen Music
Rise and Fall 2006 Bent Pen Music
Water Stone Noguchi
Incantation Bowl Gene Scheer
Angels Wings Gene Scheer
The Shaman Gene Scheer
Friendly Persuasions Gene Scheer 2008 Bent Pen Music
Wanda Landowska
402
Raymonde Linossier
Paul Eluard
Lee Hoiby
Tides of Sleep Thomas Wolfe 1967 Boosey & Hawkes
Songs for Leontyne 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 1988 Souther Music Press
A Letter
How the Waters Closed
Wild Nights
There Came a Wind Like a Bugle

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 1990 Rock Valley Music
Lady of the Harbor Emma Lazarus 1990 Schirmer
Love Love Today Charlotte Mew 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 1993 Schirmer
Investiture at Cecconi’s James Merrill 1993 Boosey & Hawkes
I Was There Whitman 1993 Schirmer
Beginning My Studies
I Was There
A Clear Midnight
O Captain! My Captain!
Joy, Shipmate, Joy!
Bon Appetit! Julia Child 1994 Schirmer
Three Ages of Woman Elizabeth Bishop 1994 Southern Music
Manners
Filling Station
Insomnia
Night Songs Adelaide Crapsey 1996 Classical Vocal Reprints
Night
Pierrot
Angelique
The Shroud
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 2002 Peer Music
The Shining Place
A Letter
How the Waters Closed
Wild Nights
There Came a Wind Like a Bugle

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 Carson McCullers
Winter and Summer Ricardo Castro 2005 Rock Valley Music
Winter Hubris
Summer’s Retort
A Pocket of Time Elizabeth Bishop 2006 Rock Valley Music
Private First Class Jesse Givens Jesse Givens 2006 Rock Valley Music
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
Heaven with her Loveliness
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
Alone on the Green
Will There Really Be a Morning? Dickinson 1988 Boosey & Hawkes
Octaves and Sweet Sounds 1993 Boosey & Hawkes
Strings in the Earth and Air James Joyce

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
Nightfall
The Kiss
The Mystery
The Rose
Armgart George Eliot 2000 Enchanted Knickers
Men with Small Heads Thomas Lux 2000 Enchanted Knickers
Men with Small Heads
Refrigerator, 1957
A Small Tin Parrot Pin
Snake Lake
Sunflowers Mary Oliver 2000 Enchanted Knickers
Sunflowers
Dreams
Sunrise
One or Two Things Mary Oliver 2001 Enchanted Knickers
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
Jewels
To-Night
Barter
Faults
The Years
Lines Written at the Falls Thomas Moore 2002 Enchanted Knickers
Little Elegy Elinor Wylie 2002 Enchanted Knickers
Two Dickinson Songs Dickinson 2002 Enchanted Knickers
Good Morning Midnight

414
Wilder than the Sky
Within these Spaces 2002 Enchanted Knickers
I Grow to Be My 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
The Song
Pentecost
Curriculum Vitae
Becoming a Redwood
Early Snow Mary Oliver 2003 Enchanted Knickers
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
Cradle Song for Asher
The Ancestor
Redknots
The Breather
The Throwback
Five Lovers Jama Jandrokovic 2004 Enchanted Knickers
On Meeting Again
Lovely in His Bones
This Morning
Second Date
July, 95 Degrees
The Apple Orchard Dana Gioia 2004 Enchanted Knickers
Swimmers on the Shore David Mason 2004 Enchanted Knickers

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
Morning Song
The Rival
Kindness
Balloons
The Silver Swan Gibbons 2008 Enchanted Knickers
Libby Larsen
Cowboy Songs 1979 Schirmer
Bucking Bronco Belle Starr

417
Lift Me into Heaven Slowly Robert Creeley
Billy the Kid Anonymous
Me (Brenda Ueland) Brenda Ueland 1987 Oxford
Why I Write this Book
Childhood
Adolescence
Greenwich Village
Marriage… Divorce
Work
Art (Life is Love)
The Present
Songs from Letters Calamity Jane 1989 Oxford
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 1991 Oxford
I thought once how Theocritus had sung
My letters!
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
Bright Rails
So Little There
Beneath the Hawthorne Tree
Late in the Day Jeanne Shepard 1998 Oxford
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
John Musto
Canzonettas Anonymous Elizabethan 1984 Presser
Western Wind
All Night by the Rose
The Silver Swan

420
Enough Rope Dorothy Parker 1985 Presser
Social Rope
Resume
The Sea
Shadow of the Blues Langston Hughes 1986 Presser
Silhouette
Litany
Island
Could Be
Two by Frost Robert Frost 1986 Presser
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 1993 Boosey & Hawkes
Dove Sta Amore 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
Parting
That Time of Year
3 American Songs Louis Phillips 1971 Southern Music
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 Kirsten Van Cleave 1977 Bellwin
A Night of Love
You Know
Give Me Your Hand

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
Tara’s Halls
The Kiss Martin Dulman 1977 Bellwin
These are the Days Dickinson 1977 Bellwin

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
Over you
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
Three Sonnets from the Portugeuse Elizabeth Barrett Browning 1984 Schirmer
Three California Songs Robert H. Deutsch 1989 Schirmer
Brother
Song
The Middle-Aged Shepherd

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 Wilde 1999 Presser
Helas
The Harlot’s House
Requiescat
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 1987 Portage Press
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

430
Far Off Cavafy 1991 Portage Press
Morning Sea
Body, Remember
At the Café Entrance
One Night
In Despair
Far Off
At Last, To Be Identified! Dickinson 1992 Portage Press
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 1992 Portage Press
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

431
Aids Anxiety Thomas 1993 Boosey & Hawkes
Songs to Poems of Edna St. Millay 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
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 Edward Lear 2001 Portage Press

432
The Pobble Who Has No Toes
Calico Pie
The Owl and the Pussycat
Cabaret Songs, Volume 1 Thomas 2001 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 Thomas 2003 Portage Press
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
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University of Iowa

Iowa Research Online

The new American song: a catalog of published

Copyright 2011 Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker

This dissertation is available at Iowa Research Online: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1265

Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd

Part of the Music Commons

Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker

Of a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of

Thesis Supervisor: Associate Professor John Muriello

a significant amount of contemporary literature that is currently unknown and / or

performance of other contemporary songs and composers.

I have selected 25 living American composers. The composers represent a variety

repertoire is appropriate for traditional classical vocal training. Many of these

Gene Scheer, and Richard Pearson Thomas.

The body of the dissertation consists of a brief biography of the individual

composers followed by analyses of the composers’ music. Each published song is

the study and performance of the music.

This dissertation will encourage the study, practice and performance of

Annotated catalogs of larger scope or of differing perspectives should be created as

Abstract Approved: ________________________________________________

Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker

Thesis Supervisor: Associate Professor John Muriello

SARAH ELIZABETH SNYDACKER

All Rights Reserved

This is to certify that the Ph.D. thesis of

Sarah Elizabeth Snydacker

Thesis Committee: ______________________________________________________

The Project and its Scholarly Significance 1

II. DOMINICK ARGENTO 11

Biography and Style 11

III. DANIEL ASIA 22

Biography and Style 22

IV. ROBERT BAKSA 30

Biography and Style 30

Biography and Style 45

VI. JACK BEESON 59

VII. WILLIAM BOLCOM 72

Biography and Style 72

VIII. JOHN BUCCHINO 91

Biography and Style 91

IX. TOM CIPULLO 96

Biography and Style 96

X. JOHN CORIGLIANO 110

Biography and Style 110

XI. JOHN FRANTZEN 116

Biography and Style 116

XII. ZINA GOLDRICH 119

Biography and Style 119

XIII. RICKY IAN GORDON 133

Biography and Style 133

XIV. DARON HAGEN 156

Biography and Style 156

XV. JOHN HARBISON 182

Biography and Style 182

XVI. JAKE HEGGIE 198

Biography and Style 198

XVII. LEE HOIBY 218

Biography and Style 218

XVIII. RICHARD HUNDLEY 242

Biography and Style 242

XIX. ANNE KILSTOFTE 251

Biography and Style 251