Three Songs on Poems by Marianne Moore

Page 1

1

THREE SONGS O N P O E M S BY M A R IA N N E M OO R E fo r vo ic e m ezzo -s o p ra no a nd f l u t e

BRAXTON BLAKE

BRAXTON

BLAKE MUSIC


2

THREE SONGS O n Poems B y Ma r ia nne Moor e for voic e m ezzo -sopr ano and flu te

BRAXTON BLAKE

I – N o S w a n S o Fi n e I I – W h a t A r e Ye a r s ? I I I – To A P r i z e B i r d

Permission for use of the text of ‘To a Prize Bird’, ‘No Swan So Fine’, and ‘What Are Years?’ from THE COMPLETE POEMS OF MARIANNE MOORE (© Viking/Macmillan, 1981) is granted by Marianne Craig Moore, Literary Executor for the Estate of Marianne Moore. All rights reserved.

BRAXTON

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


3

THREE SONGS On Poems By Marianne Moore

I - NO SWAN SO FINE

Braxton Blake

(1996)

(dolce)

= 92-98 Flute

Voice

4

"No

wa

ter

so

still

as the

8

dead

foun

tains

of

Ver

sailles."

No

swan,

with

13

swart

blind

look

a

skance

and

gon

do

Copyright © 1995 by Braxton Blake

lier

ing

legs,

so


4 17

fine

as the

toothed gold

col

chintz

chi

na

one

with

fawn

brown

eyes

and

21

lar

on

to

show whose bird

it

was.

(dolce)

25

28

Lodged

in

the

Lou

is Fif teenth

can

del

a

brum

tree

of

cocks comb tint ed

33

but

tons,

dah

lias,

sea

ur

chins,

and

e

ver

las

tings,


5 38

it

per

ches on

the

branch

ing

foam

of

42

po

lished

sculp

tured

flo

wers—

at

ease

and

tall.

46

The

king

is

dead.


6

II - WHAT ARE YEARS? = 120 Quasi recitativo

What is

our in

no cence,

what

is

our guilt?

poco accel.

All

are na ked,

none is

safe.

a tempo molto rit. (independently)

4 3

(non rit.) poco

poco

And whence is

cou

rage:

accel.

the

rit.

poco

5

un an swered ques tion,

a tempo

7

re so lute doubt,–

dumb

a tempo molto rit. (independently)

ly cal

ling,

(a tempo)

10

poco

poco

3

(non rit.)

deaf

ly

5

poco

lis ten ing–

5

5

the


7 independently - con rubato 14

5

5

independently - con rubato 5

that

in

mis for tune, e ven death,

en cou ra ges o

thers

and

in its de feat,

15

stirs

the

soul

to

be

strong?

19

23

3

He sees deep and 26

is

glad,

who ac

cedes to

mor

ta

li

3

3

3

and

in

his

im

pri son ment ris

es

up

on him self

ty


8 3

30

as

9

the

sea

in

a

chasm,

piĂš mosso 32

5

5

strug gling to

36

poco rit.

be

free

and un

a

ble

piĂš mosso

5

3

in its sur ren der ing

40

be,

a tempo

3

piĂš mosso

to

finds

its con ti

poco

3

3

nu

ing.

non accel. poco dolce

a tempo

3

poco accel.

So 43

he

who strong ly

feels, be

a tempo

haves.

The

ve

5

3

3

ry

bird,

grown tal

poco

ler

as

he

sings,


9 46

3

3

steels

his

form

straight

up.

rit. 48

= 60

independently

independently (senza rit.) rubato - quasi parlando 3

3

Though he is cap tive,

his

migh

ty

sing ing says,

49 3 7

sa tis fac tion is

a

low ly

thing,

how pure a thing is

joy.

53 3

That

is

mor

ta

li

ty,

56

this

is

e

ter

ni

ty.


10

= 128-138

III - TO A PRIZE BIRD 3

7

You

suit

me

12

well

3 3

for

you

can

make

me

laugh,

nor

are

you blind ed

3

16

10

by

the

chaff

that

eve

ry

wind sends spin ning

from

the

8va

20

rick. 24

You

know

to

think,

and

what

you

think

you


11 27

speak 30

with

much

of

Sam

son’s

8va

pride

and

bleak

fi

na

li

ty,

Pride

sits

and

8va

33

none

dare

bid

you

stop.

38

43

47

well,

so

strut,

co

los

sal bird

you


12 8va

51

No

barn yard makes

you

look ab

surd;

56

59

your 64

3

3

3

bra

3

zen

claws

are 8va

67

feat. 72

staunch

a

gainst

de


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.