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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
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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
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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