Three Poems of Amy Lowell

1

THREE SONGS ON POEMS BY AMY LOWELL

for Mezzo–Soprano and Piano

BRAXTON BLAKE

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC

2

The THREE SONGS on poems of Amy Lowell were written for and commissioned by for Kate Nesbit in 1982.

I – The Bookshop..........3 II – Music...................12 III – A Lady................19

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC http://braxtonblake.com 1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Tel/Fax 734/332-9277

PHOTOCOPYING

3

for Kate Nesbit, in admiration and friendship PROHIBITED

THREE SONGS

Amy Lowell

Braxton Blake

THE BOOKSHOP =62-64 Flowing 3

Pier rot

had

grown

old.

=62-64 Flowing

4

He

wore

spec

ta

8

And kept

a

shop.

7

7 7 copyright © 2009 Braxton Blake

cles

4 rit.

10

=52–54

3

O

=52–54

pi

um

and

rit.

7

7

=78–80 subito

13

hel

le

bore

He

sold

Be

tween

the co

=78–80 subito 7

7

17

rit.

3

rit.

=52–54 3

3

books,

rit.

And

per fumes dis tilled

=52–54 3

3

from

the

veins

vers of the

rit.

5

20

3

(veins)

of

23

=60 più mosso

i

vo

ry

And

=60 più mosso

27

3

poi

sons drawn

from 7

the

lo

tus

6

rit.

31

=56 accel.

3

seeds

one

hun

dred

years

with ered

rit.

=56 accel.

6

6

l’istesso tempo =58-60 35

Freely – independent of piano 5

And

molto accel.

thinned

to the trans

lu

cence

of

al

bas

ter.

=152 molto rit.

=48-50

rit.

39

a

=54–56 3

=60

He sang

a

pale

song

of re

=54–56 rit. =60

6

3

6

7 42

peat

ed

ca

den

zas

In a voice

cold

as

flutes

cantabile

6

6

6

6

3 5

45

And

shrill

5

as

des sic cat ed vi o

lins.

3 3

48

I

7

stood

be

6

fore

7

the

8

=58–62 51

3

3

shop,

Fin ger ing

3

the com fort a ble

vel

lum

of an

8va

8va

=58–62

54

3

an

cient

vo

8va

3

lume,

Turn

ing

8va

58

8va

And the dead

moon 8va

ver

8va

3

its leaves,

o 8va

3

3

looked 8va

o

9 62

3

ver

my

shoul

der

And

8va

66

fell

with a

8va

5 3

green

smooth

3

ness

on

the 8va

8va

70

up

molto rit.

a tempo

molto rit.

a tempo

page.

8va

I

10 74

po

co

read:

“I

am

the

Lord

6

76

thy God,

thou

shallt

have none

oth

er

=126–130

79

3

gods 8va

but

me."

=126–130

Through the

11

rit.

=116–120

poco rit.

82

3 3 3

door

came a chuc kle of

rit.

laugh

=116–120

ter

poco rit.

3

3

=116–120 molto rit.

85

=48–50

=52–54 subito

Like

=116–120 molto rit.

=48–50

the

tap

ping

=52–54 subito 5

5

8ba

87

3

of

un

strung

ket

5

5

tle

drums,

5

5

5

5

8ba

8ba

8ba

5

12 rit.

90

=60 3

For

Pier

3

rot

had ceased sing

rit.

=60

ing

=80 rit.

94 3

3

for a mo

ment

To

=80 rit.

watch me

read

ing.

13

MUSIC

=72

rit.

=68

The neigh bour sits

=72 rit.

in

his win dow

=68 3

3

sost.

rit.

3

=54–56 3

and plays

the flute.

From my 3

3

3

rit.

3

=54–56

3

3

3

3

3

3

6

3

bed

I

can hear

him,

And the round

notes

flut

ter and tap

a

3

3 3

3

3

3

3

3

3

bout the

14

9

=112–120

(senza accel.)

room,

And hit

a

gainst each oth

er

=112–120 8va

accel. repeat boxed figure

11

=112–120 a tempo

(senza rit.)

=128–130 scherzando

Blur ring to un ex pect ed chords.

=112–120 a tempo 8va

=128–130 scherzando rit.

molto rit.

repeat boxed figure poco sost.

=58 (subito)

14

3

It

is

=58 (subito)

sost.

ve

ry

15

18

rit.

3

3

3

beau ti ful,

With the lit

tle

flute

notes

all a

bout

me,

In the

rit.

22

=50

dark

=50

26

accel.

accel.

ness.

accel.

=72

rit.

In the day time

accel.

=72

rit.

cantabile

ad lib.

a tempo

The neigh bor

a tempo

16

29

3

eats

bread

and

on

ions

with

one

hand

3

3

And cop ies

3

3

sost. ma claro

32

rit.

3

a tempo

poco rit.

5

3

mu

sic

with the

o

ther.

He is

rit.

fat

a tempo

poco rit.

3

3

3

marc.

3

3

3

3

ad lib.

36

a tempo accel.

molto

and has a bald

a tempo accel.

head,

molto

3

=72 subito a tempo

So

I

3

do not look

=72 subito a tempo

3

3

at him,

But

run

quick ly

17 39

3

past his win dow.

There is

al

3

ways the sky

to look at,

or the

wa

ter in the

ad lib.

42

rit.

=54

rit.

well!

But when night comes and he plays

rit.

=54 3

his flute,

rit.

3

45

a tempo

accel.

=72–74 3

I think of him

a tempo

as a

accel.

young man,

With

gold

=72–74

3

3

seals

hang

ing from

his

18

rit.

=50

=58–60

48

3

watch,

And a

rit.

3

3

blue

=50

coat

3

with sil

ver but

tons.

=58–60

3

3 3

3

ad lib.

3

51

rit.

=52

rit.

3

As I

rit.

=52

3

lie

in

my bed

rit.

3

sost.

54

3

=46

The

flute

=46

3

notes

push

a

gainst my ears

and lips,

19 56

3

And I

=60–62

5

go

to sleep,

dream

ing.

=60–62

59

rit.

rit.

20

A L ADY =56 accel.

=62 rit.

You

=56 accel.

beau ti

Like an old

3

ope ra tune

3

Or like the sun flood ed

Played up on

silks

accel.

rit.

accel.

rit.

3

the harp si chord;

3

3

Of an eight eenth

ful and fad

a tempo

tempo 5

a tempo

are

=62 rit.

rit.

3

6

a tempo

cen tu

ry

bou

doir.

a tempo

sost.

ed

21 8

3

3

3

In your eyes Smoul der the fal

=40–46 subito

3

len

ro

ses

of out lived mi nutes,

And the

=40–46 subito

sost.

accel.

11

=62 3

3

per

fume

of

your

soul

Is

accel.

sost.

14

With the pun

gence

of sealed spice jars.

vague

and suf fus

=62

ing,

22 16

=72 rit.

3

=62

rit.

=58

3

Your half tones de light me,

And I grow

mad

with gaz

ing

=72 rit.

8va

At your blent

=62

co

rit.

lours.

=58

3

19

=62

accel.

=68

rit.

3

My

=62

21

=76

vi

gour is a

new mint ed

pen

ny,

accel.

=68

rit.

=62

rit.

=70 rit.

3

Which I

=76

cast

at your feet

=62

Ga ther it up

rit.

=70 rit.

from the

23 23

=62

rit.

=40

dust,

=72

That its

rit.

spar kle may a

=62

muse you.

=62 rit.

sost.

=40

=72

rit.

=62

24 B

R

A

X

T

O

N

B

L

A

C

H

A

M

B

E

R

M

U

K S

E I

C

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BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC http://braxtonblake.com 1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Tel/Fax 734/332-9277