The Truth About Love score by lucasmarshallsmith

Lucas Marshall Smith

The Truth About Love Song Cycle for Tenor and Piano (2014)

Performance Notes The Truth About Love is a song cycle focused around one of the most written about and discussed topics in human history—love. Each movement is a setting of a different poem by various poets on the topic of love and each deal with love seen from a different angle. The movements do share motivic and pitch material, but are not necessarily intended to be seen as the progression of one specific relationship. Instead, snippets of many relationships are explored and the shared material between movements emphasizes the common threads that unite all persons in love.

I. Sonnet 38* by Elizabeth Barrett Browning First time he kissed me, he but only kissed The fingers of this hand wherewith I write; And ever since, it grew more clean and white. Slow to world-greetings, quick with its "O, list," When the angels speak. A ring of amethyst I could not wear here, plainer to my sight, Than that first kiss. The second passed in height The first, and sought the forehead, and half missed, Half falling on the hair. O beyond meed! That was the chrism of love, which love's own crown, With sanctifying sweetness, did precede The third upon my lips was folded down In perfect, purple state; since when, indeed, I have been proud and said, "My love, my own." II. Sleepless by Sara Teasdale If I could have your arms tonightBut half the world and the broken sea Lie between you and me. The autumn rain reverberates in the courtyard, Beating all night against the barren stone, The sound of useless rain in the desolate courtyard Makes me more alone. If you were here, if you were only hereMy blood cries out to you all night in vain As sleepless as the rain.

* “Sonnet 38,” “Sleepless,” “Understanding,” and “Heart! We will forget him!” are all texts in the public domain.

III. i have found what you are like** by E. E. Cummings

i have found what you are like the rain, (Who feathers frightened fields with the superior dust-of-sleep. wields easily the pale club of the wind and swirled justly souls of flower strike the air in utterable coolness deeds of green thrilling light with thinned newfragile yellows lurch and.press —in the woods which stutter and sing And the coolness of your smile is stirringofbirds between my arms;but i should rather than anything have(almost when hugeness will shut quietly)almost, your kiss IV. Understanding By Sara Teasdale I understood the rest too well, And all their thoughts have come to be Clear as grey sea-weed in the swell Of a sunny shallow sea. But you I never understood, Your spirit’s secret hides like gold Sunk in a Spanish galleon Ages ago in waters cold. ** “i have found what you are like” from COMPLETE POEMS: 1904-1962, by E. E. Cummings, Edited by George J. Firmage, is used with the permission of Liveright Publishing Corporation. Copyright © 1923, 1925, 1951, 1953, © 1991 by the Turstees for the E. E. Cummings Trust. Copyright ©1976 by George James Firmage.

V. Heart! We will forget him! by Emily Dickinson Heart, we will forget him! You and I, tonight! You may forget the warmth he gave, I will forget the light. When you have done, pray tell me That I my thoughts may dim; Haste! lest while you're lagging. I may remember him!

I. Sonnet 38 Poetry by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Lucas Marshall Smith

Playful h = 52

                 The first time that he kissed me, mf

 



 







       

 

           

he but

 

Growing h = 60 mp

accel.

  

on - ly kissed the fing - ers

                 p              accel.

                    hand where - with I write; And ev - er since it grew more clean and white.             mp mf                        

 

of this

Excited h = 65

               

 

                            

Slow

to world greet - ings,quick with its "O,

     

        mp

             f

list,"

               

       

when the an - gels

speak. A ring of





     

mp                  a me - thyst

 



   

 

        

 er

  

  

in my

sight

      



 

  



  

 

 

Sweely q = 80













 

wear

 

       p      

 

 

here,



  

than

that first



rit.



   p

 

 

           



                  

kiss

not

  

rit.

Reminisent h = 50

 

could

  

          

 

rit.

   plain

 



    

        

 

     



   

           pp



3 20 A tempo h = 52

  



accel.

          

          

The sec - ond passed in height

the

first,

and sought the fore - head

                                      p

   

 

 

   

    and half

 

missed,

half

          



   

     

 

molto rit. f

    That    

 



  

 

  

 

  

 

Humorously h = 60

 

 



was  the    

 

      



fall - ing on the hair. O be - yond meed!

  



 

 

 

            

  





Bursting Forth with Energy h = 65

    ff

    

       

chrism

  

ff                         

      mp

      



love, which love's own crown,

  ff

       

      

   

   

 

mp                              With sanc - ti - fy - ing sweet ness,



 



 

  

 f

          



               

   

   

 

f                             did pre cede the third up - on my lips

     

    

          

     

     

per - fect,

 

   

     

   

      



        

       mp      

 

Triumphant h = 65

rit.

     

  

   

 

   



pur

  

 

ple

 

  



 

ed down



sub.p



since

   



   

state;

         

     

  

 

mp Sweetly

fold





 

was

     



rit. 39

   then







have

been

  

 

proud

and

                            f  p                            

 "My

   



love,

    

     



       



   

 



     

 



sffzp

     own."     



sffzp

     

    

  

 ff

    "My

  



 



    





     said,

sub.p quick fall

Freely h = ca. 52













 

own."







 

         

fff

        



 



II. Sleepless Poetry by Sara Teasdale

Lucas Marshall Smith

Restless q = 60

                   If I could have your arms to - night, mp

          

  





Freely

  f

   

   

     





Hmm  3 L.H.                                 

   



   



   

          

 



A Tempo q = 60 mf

    

lie bet ween  but half the world and the brok - en sea                                            p p mf f mp                                     Oh

rit.

Slower q = 52

        you and me.             



dolce mp

    

  





p       

The                   p mp      

aut -umn

rain

   



    





  



  



re - ver

   

the





yard,

     

   

 

 



   



court -

      

              

ber - ates



     -

 

rit.



Agitated q = 80

       

Speech-like

Beat - ing







 



  





bar - ren



                                                          mp

 

Slower q = 52

   p

 

stone.

   



    

rit.

 

    

a - gainst the



   



all night

   

  

         





    

The sound

      

  

  

       of

use -less

    

 

  

 

rain

in the

                  

rit.

           de-so-late court - yard makes                                         ff                         

Reminiscent q = 60

        Hmm

 



 







 

here,

  f     



a -

        

  

  

Desperate q = 90

        pp          

 

ff     My blood cries



       

 

out

to you all

Freely q = ca. 68

night

        

 

   

 

   

lone.

        mp      

 

      

If you were on - ly

rit.

    

        

hmm



accel.





        

3 p    

 

here, if you were on - ly

  mf  



  

      

     

rit.



vain

 



  

  



 



Very Slow q = 48

   

as sleep-less

      





 

the

rain.

     

   

       pp

    

 

  

rit.

   mp

           p

III. I Have Found What You Are Like Lucas Marshall Smith

Poetry by E. E. Cummings

Lazily q = 60

  



 

      

    

    

 

  





  



  

have





found

      



rain





   3



  

    

who

feath ers fright - ened fields with the sup -





      3







  





the

         3 3



 





 

    

  



 

what you are like

 





    

        

 



     

Hmm

Flowing, a little faster q = 82



 

 

  

2 15

       

            er-i - or dust of sleep.        

wields eas - i - ly

 

 

 



and

                                 

       



       

3            souls of flower strike the air

 

        3

     

mf 3

swirled

just - ly,

   



 



     



        in

 

sub.p



in ut - ter - a - ble cool ness,

       

just - ly

       

3                3

               3

           



     mf

of the wind

  

  

pale club



 

the



     



ut - ter - a - ble cool -



  



   



   ness



 

 

 

   deeds





green



thrill - ing





                 



            

   



Hushed Excitement

 3

                                  

   light 3





with

thinned

                    f

   

 

 

 

Sweetly

 3      

new - frag - ile



yel - lows





lurch

and

             

 



      3

4 37

       press in the  



 







woods which stut - ter

and

the





 

 

    





 



 

    

   

  p

  



tween

   p



 rit.

             I should rath - er than an - y - thing have     but                

   arms;





 



smile







   



 

 

birds

your

  

 

  



 

  



  

sing

    

stir - ring - of -



 

        is

cool - ness

  

   





          

 

    





  

And

  



   

 

   3

    3





     

 

  



Freely q = ca. 68

      al most     mp

    

     

             

(al most when huge - ness will shut

 

    

al - most



    kiss

  

   

 

your



molto rit.

      

        

 

 



qui - et ly)





A tempo q = 82 60

  your

 

    

                      3

A tempo q = 82

rit.

     kiss







                                    ff

                       3

   

     

 

IV. Understanding Poetry by Sara Teasdale

Lucas Marshall Smith

Heavily q = 60

  



 



Honestly, not rushed mp 5

     



  

un - der - stood the rest



 



too



 



well,



        

   

     mp

 

  

     G           p



All their thoughts havecome to be clear as grey sea weed on the swell



        pp

   sea.



 ff

  5                          

  





Confused, growing angrier

But







          of a sun - ny shal - low



             

you I nev - er un - der stood





   

Your

spir -it's sec -rets hide like



















Detached, a little bitter

    gold

 



 



    mf

Sunk





 G         

a Span - ish





molto rit.

           go in wa - ters

 

 



 



gal - le - on

    



A Tempo q = 60

 

es a -







cold.





 mp

  

  

      



V. Heart, We Will Forget Him Poetry by Emily Dickenson

Lucas Marshall Smith

Resolute q = 56 p

   

mp pp           we will for - get him! You    3        mp ff           f

 

 Heart,

   



       

  

  

A Little Faster q = 68 5

   night!                  

 A tempo q = 68

  



You may for - get

 p

  

      I will for - get the                                 p

   



 

  

  ff 

 

 



gave,

 p

    p

 

 

p rit.

   

light.



  

          

to -



   

warmth



the

                         

   

    

    and I,

rit.

 





      p



    



2 13

A Tempo, Flowing q = 68



 



           p

 

 

         

When

    tell

   mf



            ff

me,

That

   

      



sub.ff



 

my thoughts may



Haste!







 



dim;

 

        p



     

while   lest            



                         



  

 

      



 

 

 

  f



              23

 



you have done, pray

     

                  19



f   





you're

  mf

 

     lag mf

  -



ging.

    

        

     

  



    

  



 



  

him!

 p

    



   

  

   

   

    

    

may re - mem



Flowing, a little faster q = 76



  

  

    

  

  -

ber



  

   

fade away with piano pp n

rit.

 

     mp    



    

  pp

    