Three Poems of Thomas Hardy

Three Poems of Thomas Hardy cycle of three songs for voice and piano

Texts by Thomas Hardy

Dennis Tobenski

4

for John M. Koch

I. Her Initials

THOMAS HARDY (1840-1928)

    

Voice

     Piano

Moderately





    

   





     



old, two let - ters



    

she

of the ef - ful

that

        

high





page

I

wrote

   





-

 





sing - er's

rap

    

-

 





ture



  



sim.



 Part



   





 whence

    

 



seem - ed

  

thought









gent



 

 

       



 



   



came.

     







   

 

po - et's





3

       

  

  

     

    



of her name.



10

14

a



    

 3 









  

 

      





    



    



p

of

  



Up - on

Moderately

       

5



DENNIS M. TOBENSKI (2002)

     



Copyright © 2002 Dennis M. Tobenski



 





  

     

 

18





When now

    

I

turn

 

    

   

the

same









but

from

the





  

-





-

-

 

   



-

-

   

-







let - ters



   







of

her





   

diance

 

a

        

-

    





 

    

died

        

    

 







 



  

  

 

has

way.

 

    











the

 



-



name,

28



  

    



 



il -

  

  







tal light

  



  

im - mor

 



  

 



   



    

25

      

leaf

the lay,

     

    

the



  

ra



  

lumes

     



 

22

   



 

     





5



    







6

    

31







       

 

     

 

    



35

                 

 -





-

-





But

from

the







  





-

-



   





  





     



let - ters

of

her









   

    

diance





   









   

  

 

     

 

 

   

 



died

    

 

 





way.

    

   

  





the

 





-



name,

has

41

a

 

        



 

     

   





   



  



 

      

 



 



     

 

    



   

38

ra

    



     





  

     

  

4

for John M. Koch

II. A Night In November THOMAS HARDY (1840-1928) Voice: recitative

DENNIS M. TOBENSKI (2002)

Piano: clangorous

Voice

     





f

  

  





I mark - èd when the weath - er changed,

         ff

Piano

       

   

        



 



and the leaves rose up and ranged,











        

night

ly - ing half a -





  





7



Dead leaves blew





in - to





my room,



3





and

a



3

3

that

   



and the panes be - gan to quake,

let ring throughout

4

    

     

 





3



- light - ed

wake.

  

3

    up - on my

bed,

   





    





Copyright © 2002 Dennis M. Tobenski



      



5

           

9

and

a



tree de - clared to the gloom

 

 3 

its

sor - row



  

3





  





    

3



    

One leaf

3



 

of them touched my

hand,



that they were shed.

   

12

 

3    



      

 

3

 

     

  



and I thought that it was you

there

   







    



    











     

15

stood

     

3

     



as youused to stand,



and



 

 



rit.

say - ing

 





at

last

 



 

 

  

 

 

 

 

p sub.





you knew!

 

 

 

rit.

      

 

   

 

 

p sub.



  

9

for John M. Koch

III. The Sigh

THOMAS HARDY (1840-1928)

Voice

    

Moderately





Moderately

       Piano

 



p

        

  

6







Lit - tle head



    



       

   





some - what bold - er,

   



     

  







and





   up -



    



  



a - gainst my shoul - der,







eyed;

Till



    





Copyright © 2002 Dennis M. Tobenski

  

  









 

then

   

 



she, with





shy at first,











    

   

 



   



   

    

11













 

  









   

p









   



DENNIS M. TOBENSKI (2002)

 

a



   

tim - id qua -ver,





   



10

     

16

yield- ed

    

 

 to

  







the kiss I gave her;







          

21



mp















mp

   

            

26

it

  







  

im -

plied.



        

    



set a - bove me;



       





   



But

she





    





  



     

 



  











   

    that she had ceased



   

   

to love me,







 

  

none on earth



    





some sad thought she was con - ceal - ing









   

with her feel- ing







    

 



   

Not









sighed.

    



   

     

31





she



   

That there ming - led

  

But

   



 







she



     









sighed.







    







    







    



mf

     

36



 



She could not

     

dis - guise





     if

    





or











   









     



50

















       





  



so

I

 





won - dered why

she



 

    





 

   





 

sighed.







  









       



I knew her through - ly,







    

 







to

    



    



















    

af - ter -wards





weak - est fash - ion







were vic - tors;

   

         

in



    

   

         



doubt,



No - thing seemed

    

hold us sun - dered, hearts

     

 







45



dread,



tried:

       

    







she

      

pas - sion,

 







 



40

a







mf

       





11



and she loved me







   



12

       



55

stauch- ly,

    







tru - ly

till

she





    

60

But she

       





nev - er



       







     





 



made con - fes - sion





  

 











why,

at



     



she

had

    





 



              

that

first

sweet









  





May,

  





re - mem - ber,



       



 

















And though now



   



 

      

     





rit.

    







con - ses - sion,



a tempo p

   



It was in

    

  

69



     

 







sighed.







rit.

64



    









    





died;





        



   





   



 



     

a tempo

  

    

I near No - vem - ber,







and

 

    



p

  

a - bide



our



till



 



     

73

my







ap - point - ed



      





change



     That

    



  

81



  





 





half











    





  





 









  



 





rit.

    



    

  rit.

   

 















   

  

  



re - gret - ting



 

 

   



   













         

 





        86



 





sit









I





sighed.



    





 she

 

some - times

    

    



  





un - fret - ting,



          77

  



13

 



 

 