Four Love Songs
Carlos Lalondefor Mezzo-Soprano & Piano 2022
I. Come
II. Message
III. Moods
IV. Night Song at Amalfi
Copyright © 2022 Carlos Lalonde
www.carloslalonde.com
Program Note
American poet Sara Teasdale (1884-1933) wrote a collection of poems published as “Love Songs” which won the Pulitzer Prize for poetry in 1918. Her beautifully-crafted words served as a perfect foundation to set music to in song cycle of four select poems.
I. Come
Come, when the pale moon like a petal Floats in the pearly dusk of Spring, Come with arms outstretched to take me, Come with lips that long to cling.
Come, for life is a frail moth flying, Caught in the web of the years that pass, And soon we two, so warm and eager, Will be as the gray stones in the grass.
II. Message
I heard a cry in the night, A thousand miles it came, Sharp as a flash of light, My name, my name!
It was your voice I heard, You waked and loved me so ? I send you back this word, I know, I know!
III. Moods
I am the still rain falling, Too tired for singing mirth ?
Oh, be the green fields calling, Oh, be for me the earth!
I am the brown bird pining
To leave the nest and fly ?
Oh, be the fresh cloud shining, Oh, be for me the sky!
IV. Night Song at Amalfi
I asked the heaven of stars
What I should give my love ? It answered me with silence, Silence above.
I asked the darkened sea
Down where the fishers go ? It answered me with silence, Silence below.
Oh, I could give him weeping, Or I could give him song ? But how can I give silence
My whole life long?
Composer Note
I chose these specific poems since they best conveyed the idea of “love” to me, through text. Although it is such an ambiguous and subjective idea, Teasdale most intimately and effectively personifies it in a way that reached me on a very human level. There are only a few poems that reach me so deeply and viscerally and it was very easy for me to unlock the music that was already there.
I wanted to take the listener on an emotional journey through each of these songs and tie in recurring musical ideas and themes to be as cohesive as possible.
The first song begins with the most important thematic material that returns later in the cycle. To me, the poetry speaks of deep longing to a loved one; it tells us how fragile our time is on Earth.
The second is an exciting, broadway-esque feature that showcases the agility required by both the vocalist and accompanist.
The third personifies different elements of nature that offer peace of mind and self-centeredness.
Lastly, the fourth song is a beautiful, but heart-wrenching display of deep emotions that doesn’t necessarily end in closure.
About the Composer
Carlos Lalonde (b. 2001) is a rising composer of instrumental and choral concert music.
He has been commissioned by numerous schools and institutions for his concert music. Recent accolades include Cantus’ Young & Emerging Composer Competition, the Greater Twin Cities Youth Orchestras (GTCYS) Call for Scores Competition, and the Alabama Orchestra Association (AOA) Annual Composition Contest.
He is a registered member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) and the American Composers Forum as an active composer in the Chicagoland area. He is studying music composition with Dr. Lynnsey Lambrecht at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois.
Four Love Songs
I. Come
Molto adagio = c 60 Come, when the pale moon 6 - - like a pet al Floats in a tempo the pearl y dusk of 11
Copyright © 2022 Carlos Lalonde
All Rights Reserved
Sara Teasdale (1884-1933)
Carlos Lalonde (b. 2001)
2 I. Come
that
long to cling.
poco 15
a tempo sub.
24
accel. poco a poco
cresc.
19
Poco mosso
cresc.
-
Spring, Come with arms out streched to take me, Come with lips rit
Come, for life is a 28 - - frail moth fly ing, Caught in the web of the 32 cresc. years that pass, years that pass, 36 3 I. Come
rit. a tempo And 40 soon, soon, we too, we too, and soon we 45 poco cresc too, Più mosso 51 4 I. Come
So 56 warm Tempo primo and ea ger Will be as the gray freely 61 stones in the grass. 65 5 I. Come
Con moto = c. 120 I heard a cry in the night I heard a cry in the 6 night A thou sand miles it came, a 9
6
II. Message
thou sand miles it came sharp as a flash of light,
12 I 16 heard a cry in the night I heard a cry in the 20 7 II. Message
night A thou sand miles it came, a
cresc 23 thou sand miles it came sharp as a flash of light, a 26 flash of light, My name, a tempo 29 8 II. Message
My name! 33 37 cresc. 41 9 II. Message
45 It was your voice I heard, It was 49 your voice I heard, You waked and loved me so? You 53 10 II. Message
and loved me so? I send you back this word,
waked
57 back this word, I know, 60 I know! 64 11 II. Message
III. Moods
86 dolce 5 - - - I am the still rain fall ing, fall ing, fall ing, 9
Andantino = c
- Oh be the green fields call ing, Oh, be for me the earth!
- Too tired for sing ing mirth? 13
17 rit. 21 13 III. Moods
a tempo 25 - I am the brown bird pin ing, to leave the 28 nest and fly? Oh, be the 32 14 III. Moods
poco cresc. fresh cloud shin ing Oh, be for me the sky! 36 39 poco rit. 43 15 III. Moods
IV. Night Song at Amalfi
cresc - I Freely asked the hea ven of stars Largo = c 56 What I should give my love? espress. 3 -a tempo It an swered me with si lence, 7
- - - with si lence, Si lence a bove. 11 -Molto mosso
ened 15 - sea Down where the fish ers go? 19 17 IV. Night Song at Amalfi
I asked the dark ened, dark
-poco rit. It an swered me with si lence, 23 - - si lence, Si lence be low. Poco mosso 27 dim. 31 18 IV. Night Song at Amalfi
35 a tempo Oh I could give him weep ing, 39 Or I could give him 43 19 IV. Night Song at Amalfi
- song? But how can I give si lence, 47 - - - - si espress. lence, si lence si lence, My whole life 51 long? Molto lento poco rit. 56 20 Chicago, March2022 IV. Night Song
at Amalfi