Three Songs Of War

1

TH REE S O NG S OF WAR poems by Theodore Roethke Marianne Moore W. S. Merwin

for medium voice and piano

B RA XT O N BL AKE

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC

2

T H R E E S O N G S O F WA R for medium voice and piano Poems by Theodore Roethke Marianne Moore W. S. Merwin

BRA X TO N BL AKE 1984

Duration: circa 12’

Lull (November, 1939) by Theodore Roethke, ©1966 Faber & Faber Ltd., reprinted with permission To Military Progress by Marianne Moore, ©1981 by the Literary Estate of Marianne Moore, reprinted with permission The War by W. S. Merwin, ©1973 by W. S. Merwin, reprinted with permission of the Wylie Agency, Inc.

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC 1508 Longshore Drive Ann Arbor, MI 48105 Tel/Fax (734) 332-9277 e-mail bblake@thedance.net http://braxtonblake.com

3

T H R E E S O N G S O F WA R LU L L ( N o v e m be r, 1 939) THEODORE ROETHKE

BRAXTON BLAKE

Flowing, con rubato

= 52–60

3

The winds of hat red

Flowing, con rubato

blow

= 52–60

4

Cold,

3

cold

a cross

the flesh

3

3

7

3

3

And

chill

the

an

xious

heart;

sost. pedal copyright © 2005 Braxton Blake

4

9

5

3

In

tri

cate

pho

6 3

3

sost. ped.

11

5

grow

From

each

3 3

3

(sost. ped.)

ma lig

nant

bi

as

5

13

3

wish

To

spoil

col

(sost. ped.)

15

3

3

lec tive life.

(sost. ped.)

Now

each man

6

19

3

stands

5

a

3

part.

3

3

3

3

sost. ped.

21

subito poco più mosso

subito rit.

sost. ped.

a tempo 3

We

subito poco più mosso

3

subito rit.

watch

o

a tempo

pi

nion 3

3 3

3

(sost. ped.)

7

23

3

drift,

Think

of our sep’

rate

3

3

(sost. ped.)

25 5

skins.

3

On

3

ad lib. (sost. ped.)

well up hol stered bums

3

8

accel.

28

3

3

The ge

ne

rals

cough

3

and

shift

Play

ing

with paint

ed

accel.

5

Sost. ped.

ad lib.

31

rit.

a tempo

pins.

The

rit.

ar

bi

tra tors

a tempo

3

wait;

5

(sost. ped.)

5

35

The news men suck

(sost. ped.)

3

their

thumbs.

The

9

37

3

3

mind

is

quick to

turn

3

a

way

from

sim

ple

faith

8va

(sost. ped.)

poco accel.

più mosso

rit.

40

3

3

To the cant

poco accel.

and

8va

3

rit.

43

ne 8va

rit.

a tempo

ver

learn;

a tempo

fu

ry

più mosso

of

Fools

rit.

who will

10

47

Rea

son

em bra ces

death,

senza rit.

50

3

While out

3

of

fright

ened eyes

8va

3

3

repeat and ritard the boxed segment

rit.

ancora rit.

51

3

Still

stares

rit.

the

wish

to

ancora rit.

love.

11

TO MILI TARY P R OGR E SS MARIANNE MOORE

= 84–88 – Meccanico

= 84–88 – Meccanico

3

You

use

your

mind

like a

mill

stone

to

grid

chaff.

6

You 8va

8va

po

lish

12

8

3

it

and

with

your

warped

wit

10

laugh

12

at

your

tor so,

pro

strate

where

the

13

14

3

crow

falls

8va

16

on

such

faint

hearts

as

its

god

im

parts,

calls

19

22

and

claps

its

wings

till

the

14

24

3

tu

3

mult

brings

26

black

mi

3

nute

29

more

men

to

re

vive

a

gain,

war

15 3

30

at

lit

tle

cost.

They

3

cry

for

33

lost

head

.=

37

Meno mosso

42

and

seek

their

the

16

45

3

3

prize

till

3

3

the

eve

ning

sky’s

5

49

Più mosso

=

red.

5

=

Più mosso

5

5

5

5

ad lib.

51

5

5

5 5

17

T H E WAR W. S . M E R W I N

poco rit.

= 52–58

a tempo rit.

There are sta tues 8va

= 52–58 poco rit.

a tempo

a tempo rit.

poco rit.

a tempo

3

3

mov

ing

a tempo

6

rit.

in

to

a

war

as

poco rit.

we move in

a tempo

a tempo 3

dream

we will

rit.

a tempo

ne

ver

re

mem

ber

to

a

18

8

senza ritardando, con rubato

they

3

lived

3

3

be

fore

3

3

us

but

molto rit.

3

repeat and ritard the boxed segment

poco rit.

a tempo poco rit.

a tempo senza ritardando, con rubato

8

3

in the dream we may

poco rit.

die

and

a tempo poco rit.

each

3

as

poco rit.

a tempo

in

life

poco rit.

a tempo

ry

ing

one

wing

a tempo

3

10

car

3

3

3

repeat the boxed segment–senza rit.

l.h. – molto dim.

3

r.h. – meno dim.

repeat and accelerate the boxed segment 3

in tempo (

®

)

3

3

19

13

we

may

go

down

3

3

all

3

3

3

rit.

15

the

3

3

a tempo

5

steps of the heart

in to swamp wa ter

rit.

3

a tempo

3

3

rit.

17

and draw

a tempo

3

our

hands

down

rit.

af

ter

us

a tempo 8va

out

20

poco rit.

a tempo

senza ritardando, con rubato

20

of

the

names

poco rit.

a tempo

8va

ritard (with no repeat)

5

senza ritardando, con rubato

22

3

and we

may lose

one by

one

our

fea

tures

ritard (with no repeat)

24

con rubato

rit.

3

the stone may say good bye to us

3

and we may say good bye to the

stone

rit. ritard (with no repeat)

8va

for e

ver

21

a tempo

poco rit.

senza ritardando, con rubato 26

3

and em bark

a tempo

like a

a tempo

foot

a

poco rit.

a tempo

poco rit.

rit.

bells

the

a tempo

hear at

last

voi

ces

like

a tempo

a tempo 3

and be drawn a

rit.

in

3

and

29

lone

poco rit.

3

air

small

left

ritard (with no repeat)

3

27

3

a tempo

3

shore and wake

with the

22

rit.

31

war

go

ing

on

rit.

ritard (with no repeat)

23

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

“How do you whistle that way?”

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